Bryce Young Named Panthers' Starting QB over Andy Dalton After 1st Camp Practice

It only took one training camp practice for the Carolina Panthers to determine their starting quarterback.

Panthers head coach Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday that 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has been named "QB 1" over veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton.

The Panthers traded up to select Young with the top pick in this year's draft, so he was always on a trajectory to be their quarterback of the future. Dalton, who signed a two-year deal with Carolina in March, provides some insurance as an experienced backup, but it was expected that he'd lead the team while Young adjusted to life in the NFL.

However, when asked if he was surprised by Young's rapid rise to Carolina's starting quarterback, Reich responded, "No, I always felt like [general manager Scott Fitterer] and I and the coaching staff, when we decided to pick Bryce, we imagined and saw the vision that we'd be standing here today saying he's the QB 1."

When the Panthers began OTAs earlier this offseason, it was Dalton who received the first snap with the first-string offense. That changed on Wednesday, as Young was under center at the start of practice, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Young, who turned 22 on Tuesday, has embraced the opportunity to be the team's leader despite his youth.

"It's going to be tough. It's going to be hard, but just to push everyone," Young told the Panthers' official website of his goals for training camp. "For us as a unit to push ourselves, and for us as a team to take ownership in everything and try to get the most out of every day, in the meeting room and the practice field, making sure that we're all holding ourselves to the standard that we know we should."

Now that he's officially been named the starter, Young will be tasked with getting the Panthers prepared for their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 10.