Andy Dalton may be a 35-year-old veteran backing up a 22-year-old rookie, but he is playing the role with grace.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young revealed to reporters on Thursday that Dalton, his backup on the team, pulled a great teammate move during the previous week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Young said that Dalton was the one who tracked down Young’s first touchdown ball after it was thrown into the stands.
“Shoutout to Andy,” said Young. “He did a great job, tracked it down, he was on it … He told me he went and got it right away. So super grateful for that.”
Young, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, threw the first touchdown of his NFL career on a four-yard strike to tight end Hayden Hurst in the second quarter on Sunday. Hurst lost sight of the moment, though, and instinctively lobbed the souvenir ball into the stands (where it was apparently retrieved by Dalton shortly thereafter).
Dalton was a full-time starter last season for the New Orleans Saints, but knew what he was signing up for when he agreed to a two-year deal with the Panthers this offseason and is doing whatever he can to help the team as a backup. At least Dalton’s relationship with Young is off to a better start than Dalton’s prior relationship with a young QB teammate.
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