Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) drops back to pass during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers could use boost for their mediocre backup QB rating

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Tomorrow afternoon the Carolina Panthers will be visiting the Houston Texans for their second preseason contest of the 2025 campaign. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters last week that he's looking to get Bryce Young a bit more playing time than he got against Cleveland, so fans can expect to see around three series from their young starter.

After that things might get a bit ugly on the field, if last week's game against the Cleveland Browns is any indication. Andy Dalton and Jack Plummer played the vast majority of the snaps after Young went to the sidelines, and neither one of them was able to find the end zone against the Browns' second and third-stringers on defense.

While it ultimately doesn't matter because it's only the preseason, there is a lesson here. The Panthers don't have the worst backup quarterback situation in the NFL (that's in New Orleans) but it's also pretty far from the best.

According to an analysis by Yardbarker, Carolina's backup QB situation gets a 3 out of 5 rating.

Panthers backup QBs get 3/5 rating

"Dalton gives the Panthers a veteran presence behind incumbent Young, but is no more than a replacement-level player at this stage of his career. Plummer (no relation to retired former NFL QB Jake Plummer) is a 2024 undrafted free agent who ended his collegiate career as a fifth-year senior at Louisville, where he threw for 3,204 yards while leading the Cardinals to a 10-4 record. He didn’t take a snap during the last regular season."

Dalton's extensive experience in the NFL is good to have in the locker room, but it's also worth mentioning that his career peaked exactly 10 years ago and he's not a long-term option, even as a backup quarterback.

Dalton's embarrassing sack of himself and gruesome interception on two consecutive possessions against the Browns were a stark reminder that when Dalton's game is off it's pretty ugly at this point in his career. That was the same dynamic we witnessed last season after two promising starts against the awful defensive units of the Raiders and the Bengals. As soon as he faced a real defense, Dalton's performance dropped off a cliff and never came back.

As for Plummer, he just hasn't seen enough snaps to really make any kind of reliable determination about how his career might go. He deserves more playing time and should honestly probably play the entire game after Young makes his way to the bench.

Overall, this is a relatively shaky backup QB situation - and Carolina's starter isn't quite established enough to feel truly confident at this position. That may change after just a few more quality regular season outings from Young, but they're not there yet.

It's a bit late in the game now to make a change for the 2025 season. However, Panthers GM Dan Morgan should be looking to upgrade his team's QB depth no later than next offseason.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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