The Carolina Panthers recently made a significant move when they re-signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to a two-year contract.
Over the past two seasons, he has served mostly as the backup to Bryce Young, but this season, Dalton started five games after Young got off to a poor start.
Dalton recently revealed why he decided to stay put.
“I think the trajectory of this team is trending in the right direction, and you want to be a part of it,” Dalton said, via the Panthers’ official website.
Andy Dalton on decision to re-up with Carolina: Panthers are "trending in the right direction, and you want to be a part of it"https://t.co/liINRWmqwS pic.twitter.com/xzbB9yFUad
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) February 20, 2025
The Panthers were 5-12 this season, which was only a three-win improvement over the previous season, which may make some snicker at Dalton’s reasoning.
However, development and improvement often don’t happen in a straight line, and Young showed some promise late in his second season.
In his final three games, Young threw seven touchdown passes without an interception while adding three rushing touchdowns, and Carolina won two of those games, against the Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons.
Dalton made the Pro Bowl three times in his earlier years, and even at this point of his career, he remains a decent insurance option and mentor for Young, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Carolina has a young running back in Chuba Hubbard to build around, and it has the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could yield another offensive weapon.
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