Bryce Young's NFL career has been anything but consistent. His rookie season was horrendous, and then the beginning of his sophomore season was even worse.
However, in the second half of his second year, there were real fireworks with him on the field. While this has been his best season, as he's passed for 3,011 yards and took the Panthers to the playoffs, the consistency is in question.
Despite their first playoff appearance since Cam Newton, many of the Panthers' faithful still have doubts about Young as the team's true future.
With that, if Young can't find a rhythm in the postseason or gets hurt, it's crucial to have a backup option that can still get the job done.
Here's everything to know about the Panthers' quarterback depth chart ahead of the 2025-26 playoffs.
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Who is the Panthers' backup quarterback?
Young's backup is longtime Cincinnati Bengal Andy Dalton.
For the first nine years of his 15-year career, Dalton was in Cincinnati. Then, in the past six seasons, he's been on four different teams. After leaving the Bengals in 2019, Dalton's best statistical season came in 2022 with the New Orleans Saints.
After three teams in three years, Dalton has been with the Panthers in Charlotte since 2023. With Young's early struggles, Dalton has found himself starting six games in the last two seasons.
There was some definite success, such as in his performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 of last season. He passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in their 14-point win over the Raiders.
While Dalton started only one game this season, he is a trusted veteran quarterback and can provide support if Young gets hurt or plays poorly.
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Panthers QB depth chart
| Rank | Name |
| 1. | Bryce Young |
| 2. | Andy Dalton |
There are only two quarterbacks on the Panthers' active roster heading into the postseason.
Dalton would fill in for Young if he were to get hurt, but there isn't much behind him. Other than that, they do have Mike White as their emergency quarterback on their practice squad, but he is not listed on the roster.