The Carolina Panthers backed their way into the playoffs after winning a weaker-than-normal NFC South division on tiebreakers despite having a losing record. Still, young quarterback Bryce Young showed improvement throughout the season, looking more like who Carolina was expecting him to be when they drafted him with the first overall pick.
However, Young’s emergence has left veteran Andy Dalton in a tough spot, where he’s unlikely to find much playing time unless Young suffers an injury. However, Dalton is still an invaluable asset for Carolina, as his veteran presence would be a boon for many of the quarterback-starved teams around the league.
It’s something that’s manifesting itself via the trade market, according to one prominent league insider.
“Another available QB: Carolina has been getting calls about Andy Dalton for a potential trade, per sources,” reported ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
Another available QB: Carolina has been getting calls about Andy Dalton for a potential trade, per sources. pic.twitter.com/pWJDY9Q3Mm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 25, 2026
Fans reacted to the Panthers potentially losing Andy Dalton ahead of next season on social media.
“If your team is calling about Dalton… your QB situation is worse than you think,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Believe the Panthers have already said they want to get younger at QB2 – so a trade make sense,” Underdog’s Josh Norris added.
“Keep an eye on Dalton to the Steelers as a bridge QB option if Rodgers ends up retiring/leaving this offseason. Dalton played significant snaps for Mike McCarthy in Dallas in 2020 when Dak went down & is an experienced mentor to young QBs,” Jack Sperry of Chat Sports added.
It’ll be interesting to see where Dalton winds up.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.