Sitting injured Bryce Young in Week 3 is wisest move for Panthers

That would be the wrong course of action.

Part of what made Young a tantalizing prospect coming out of college was his ability to avoid pressure and make plays off-script. If he's hobbled by his ankle, that will neutralize his best attributes.

Carolina signed Dalton in the offseason to serve as a mentor and viable insurance option in case of injury to Young. This would be the time to cash out on that policy.

The worst thing that could happen to the Panthers is Young damaging his ankle further or his lack of mobility causes him to take unnecessary hits, leading to another injury.

"When you get a chance to kind of take ownership of what you're doing and to know how you want it to look and how you want it to feel and you actually get to execute it, I mean, that's what makes football fun," Dalton said during his media availability following practice on Thursday, embracing the prospect of starting for his fifth team in the past five seasons.

The former nine-year starter in Cincinnati was cut by the Bengals following the 2019 season. He started nine games for the Cowboys in 2020, then six games for the Bears in 2021. 

Dalton was serviceable in 14 starts with the Saints last season. He posted a career-high 66.7 percent completion percentage while throwing for 2,871 yards (7.6 yards per attempt), 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. As unexciting as he is, Carolina's offense has been about as interesting to watch as paint drying in the first two weeks, so it can't get much more boring.

The Panthers are averaging 13.5 points and 260 yards per game through two weeks. Both are bottom-five marks in the league. Young has gotten off to a slow start, completing 59.2 percent of his passes and only averaging 4.2 yards per attempt.

Seattle allowed 30 points in each of its first two games, and the idea of putting Young out there to capitalize on a potentially weak defense could be tempting. However, Carolina must consider the long game with its prized asset and not settle for a potential short reward.