CHARLOTTE, N.C. ā Andy Dalton will start for the Carolina Panthers at quarterback on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after rookie Bryce Young was ruled out with a sprained ankle.
Jake Luton will serve as Carolinaās backup quarterback.
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Panthers head coach Frank Reich said Young is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, meaning his status for the teamās Week 4 game against the Minnesota Vikings is uncertain. Reich said he's still āoptimisticā Young might play against the Vikings after the progress he has made with his rehabilitation.
āBryce has done well this week,āā Reich said. āIām optimistic heās on the right path. Whatever the soonest he can get back is, he will get back. And when he gets back heāll be our guy.āā
Young attended practice on Friday and walked out to the field without a boot on his ankle.
Young will make the trip with the team to Seattle.
Young, the No. 1 pick in the draft, ranks 31st in the NFL in passer rating through two games. Heās completed 59.2% of his passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and fumbled once.
Reich remains confident in Dalton, calling him "one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the NFL."
āThis guy is playing at a high level,āā Reich said. āThe way heās throwing the football, the way he works through progressions, the way heās playing the game since day one when heās walked through the door I said heās starter worthy.āā
Dalton is 3-1 during his career against the Seahawks, including 1-1 on the road.
This will be Dalton's 163rd career start.
The 13-year veteran is 83-77-2 as a starter with stops in Cincinnati, Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans. He's thrown for 244 touchdowns and 144 interceptions.
The Panthers are last in the league in passing, but face a Seattle (1-1) defense that has struggled to start the season and ranks 31st in the league in yards allowed and 29th in points allowed.
The only other Carolina player with an injury designation is outside linebacker Justin Houston, who is listed as questionable with a calf injury. Reich said he expects Houston will play.
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