3 backup QB options for Carolina Panthers if Bryce Young misses time

If Young is out, the Panthers would then need a backup for Dalton. They probably wouldn't make a move for someone to start over Dalton at this point, but someone who could play if Dalton went down. It's a nightmare scenario, but there are some options. As much as it would be incredible, no, Cam Newton is sadly not one of them.

Aidan O'Connell

The Las Vegas Raiders don't have a good QB room, but they also probably don't need three quarterbacks, so one of them is expendable. Aidan O'Connell is hurt right now, but he's expected to be back very soon after starting the year on IR, and the Panthers could do so much worse than a guy who started and played passably for a while very recently.

Tommy DeVito

Tommy DeVito, for a very brief moment, had better numbers than Bryce Young in 2023, the rookie season for both. He's now the third-string QB for the New England Patriots, but as he has starting experience and his own "Linsanity run," it would not be a bad idea to kick the tires on him being the backup for a little while.

Zach Wilson

The Miami Dolphins may or may not end up benching Tua Tagovailoa, but they moved Zach Wilson to QB3 on the depth chart, bumping Quinn Ewers up. He should be available, like these other players, for minuscule draft compensation, and as a former starter and top prospect, the Panthers could stand to benefit from bringing him in as a sort of reclamation backup while they wait for Young to heal.

Some other options include: CJ Beathard (free agent), Riley Leonard (Colts), Graham Mertz (Texans), and Hendon Hooker (practice squad). Out of all the options, Hooker seems most plausible.