Bryce Young to start for Panthers vs. Broncos after Andy Dalton injured thumb in car crash

Bryce Young is back.

The Carolina quarterback will return to the starting lineup for the Panthers on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Andy Dalton, who's started since Young was benched in Week 3, sprained his thumb in a car wreck on Tuesday and will not be available. Head coach Dave Canales made the announcement on Wednesday.

Canales confirmed that "everyone was OK" from the collision other than Dalton's thumb sprain. The Panthers initially announced on Tuesday that Dalton was involved in the accident in Southeast Charlotte while driving with his wife, three children and their dog.

"Scary moment for sure," Canales said. "Everyone was OK. Everyone was healthy. Unfortunately in the accident, he did sprain his thumb. So Bryce will be playing this week."

Further details of the collision are unclear.

Young returns to the starting lineup after being benched for poor performance after an 0-2 start. The Panthers traded up with the Bears to draft Young out of Alabama with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft in a package that sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago.

Young struggled as a rookie, completing 59.8% of his passes for 5.5 yards per attempt with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 starts. The Panthers finished with the worst record in the NFL (2-15), and the 2024 first-round selection they traded to Chicago to acquire Young became the first pick in the draft. The Bears used the pick to select quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC.

The Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich midseason in 2023 and hired Canales as their new coach in the offseason. Young continued to struggle amid an 0-2 start to the season, and Canales benched him in favor of Dalton, a 14-year NFL veteran and former Pro Bowler.

Dalton led the Panthers to a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. That stands as their only win of the season as they've lost four straight games since, falling to 1-6. Young has made brief relief appearances for Dalton during a pair of blowout losses to the Bears and Washington Commanders.

Now, because of Dalton's injury, he'll get another chance to show what he's got as a starter. The Panthers will play the Broncos in Denver on Sunday afternoon.