Bryce Young gets another start, but with the Panthers top receiver in Baltimore

The Carolina Panthers are sticking with it Bryce Young as their starting quarterback for at least one more game. But the first Alabama All-American will lead the Panthers against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday without Carolina’s top receiver.

The Panthers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson led Carolina this season with 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns, even though he missed that of Sunday. 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos due to a rib injury and only caught one pass in the game before that.

“We just collectively thought this was the best decision for us,” Carolina coach said said Dave Canales on trading Wednesday.

Young was also asked about the trade on Wednesday.

“That’s the front office and they make the decisions they think are best for a team,” Young said. “You know, it hurts to lose someone like Diontae, obviously a great player, but a great guy, a great person. … It’s obviously part of the business, and it sucks that he’s not going to be here, so that’s going to be tough.

After joining the Panthers with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Young started 16 games last season and the first two games this season before being benched for veteran Andy Dalton. Dalton started five games before a thumb injury suffered in a traffic accident on Oct. 22 caused Canales to return to Young. Although Dalton returned to full practice participation on Wednesday, Canales announced that Young would start again.

“Bryce starts this week, so he picked up the reps from today’s.” Canales said. “And Andy is making progress. He was there throwing. And I really looked at all the things, and for me, I was just being cautious and wanting to put Andy in the best possible situation to be able to make a decision going forward. And I’m also glad Bryce gets a chance to build on some of the things he did last week. Definitely things to work on, but also a lot of good things he’s done.

Young said he “grateful for the opportunity‘ to stay in the lineup.

“I just want to do everything I can all week to prepare, put myself and put us in the best situation to win and be successful,” Young said“so just a day-to-day mentality.”

Canales declined to make any statement about Carolina’s starting quarterback after Sunday’s game.

“We’re collecting all the information all week with Andy, with Bryce, how he’s playing this week,” Canales said“And then we will make another decision next week.”

Young completed 31 of 56 passes for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in starting the first two games. He played two series during the five games Dalton started, completing 6 of 9 passes for 54 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Against Denver on Sunday, Young completed 24 of 37 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Panthers scored on their first and last possessions against the Broncos.

“First ride, just finding a good mix and balance of it,” Canales said. “For me this is another opportunity to continue to find the things he has confidence in. He found some nice completions here and there and then finished with a really nice drive where I thought the game was clearly out of control, but at the same time we were battling for wins in those moments. And I just thought that was good stuff.

“And then to have the continuity from one week to the next, coming in and out of the group and feeling the rhythm that is needed to be successful, so I’m glad he’s going out there and getting another chance. “

Against Denver, Carolina used Xavier Legette and David Moore as starting wide receivers. Legette is a first-round rookie who has three touchdown receptions in the past five games. Moore is a seven-year veteran who hasn’t had more than 95 receiving yards in a season since 2020. The top wide receiver on Sunday was undrafted rookie Jalen Coker with four receptions for 78 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

“I trust all our receivers,” Young said. “And in this league, there are a lot of blowouts, a lot of tight windows and hard throws. And for me, I’m thankful for those guys, I just have faith in those guys, know the strength that they have, go ahead and let them play. That’s my job, so for me it feels great to have those guys that I can rely on. I am grateful for the work they put in to get there.”

The Panthers and Saints play Saturday at noon CST at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. This will be the NFC South rivals’ second meeting of the season. New Orleans started the campaign by defeating Carolina 47-10. But the Saints come in at 2-6 with a six-game losing streak. The Panthers are 1-7 with a five-game losing streak.

‘This is a challenging defense’ Canales said“whether they’re in single high or their two-shell stuff. They’re going to match things up, they’re going to challenge you, they’re going to force you to be accurate, they’re going to force receivers to create separation, and that’s something we just have to work on from a technical standpoint. And I have a good feeling about the design so far. We still have a few days to put it together and try to attack them that way.

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Mark Inabinett is a sportscaster for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.