The Panthers‘ QB room isn’t short on storylines, and it is shaping the entire outlook in Charlotte. Bryce Young enters Year 3 as the undisputed starter, but the leash isn’t endless—last season’s late surge gave hope, while another sluggish start could reopen old doubts. Andy Dalton, nursing a preseason muscle injury, still looms as the steadying hand Canales once called “our best chance to win.” Behind them, cuts have trimmed the room thin. It is now a fragile balance of promise and pressure, the kind Canales insists will “grow” a young yet vibrant team.

But calling the QB  competition in Carolina a “battle” might be overstating it. Dave Canales drew his line early: Bryce Young is the franchise QB, Andy Dalton is the trusted veteran backup, and that’s that. Everyone else? Expendable. Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins both found out the hard way, cut loose as the Panthers trimmed down to 53 in their roster. The decision was less about upside and more about stability. As Canales himself stated, “I’m focused on our team, our football… We have a lot to talk about in the next couple of days in terms of the roster and all that.” So, the underlying message is don’t get too attached to camp arms.

Plummer had the longest audition, and it went about as poorly as it could. He threw an interception on an “ill-advised throw” in the finale and looked shaky throughout August. Pro Football Focus handed him the lowest grade on the roster at 35.1. This is indeed a rock bottom for a guy who saw the most snaps of any Carolina QB. Canales hinted Plummer will likely return on the practice squad, which is coach-speak for “we like him enough to run scout team, but not enough to put him on the field.”

Perkins’ story is tougher. The UFL MVP came in late and flashed real ability, completing 10 of 11 passes against Pittsburgh. He also earned the highest PFF grade of any Panthers QB in the preseason (79.5). But in the NFL, timing and trust matter more than one hot half of football. Canales had no room for a project in August. Perkins’ exit says more about Carolina’s comfort with Dalton than it does about his own ceiling.

In the end, the Panthers are riding into 2025 with Young and Dalton, the same duo they leaned on a year ago. Canales’ confidence in Young hasn’t wavered at all, even if he once benched him in 2024 for Dalton, calling the vet “our best chance to win right now.” That line still hangs over this QB room, a reminder that the leash isn’t endless. But for now, Dave Canales is betting on consistency over potential. If the QB room is about stability, the pass-catching room is about possibility. And that is where Carolina’s eyes may turn next.

Dave Canales’s missing piece beside Bryce Young

The Panthers don’t exactly hide what’s missing from Bryce Young’s toolbox: a TE who can be more than just a blocker or a check-down option. That is why Kyle Pitts’ name keeps floating around. Once the No. 4 overall pick in 2021, Pitts was supposed to be Atlanta’s game-changer. Instead, three seasons of injuries and inconsistency have left him short of his rookie heights. And now, he may need a change of scenery to get back to his form. Carolina, desperate to give Young a proven red-zone weapon, is lurking.

From Atlanta’s side, the situation is complicated. The Falcons didn’t extend Pitts’ contract, a clear sign they are weighing their options, especially with Bijan Robinson and Drake London already in place to carry the offense. They are also breaking in rookie QB Michael Penix Jr., and the question is whether Pitts is really part of that future. Trading him could bolster the roster in areas of need and provide draft capital. But it would also mean shipping a once-crown jewel to a division rival. It is rare, but the whispers are real. That is, Atlanta could move Pitts if the right offer—say, a mid-round pick in 2026—lands on the table.

Carolina’s motivation is obvious. Pitts would instantly be the most dynamic TE they have had since Greg Olsen. Paired with Adam Thielen, rookie Xavier Legette, and Travis Etienne’s younger brother, Trevor, in the backfield, Pitts could be the mismatch piece Dave Canales needs. It is not a risk-free move, as Pitts is pricey and hasn’t put it all together since 2021. But, for the Panthers, this is the kind of swing that could finally tilt the offense in Young’s favor. Either he revives his career in Charlotte, or Atlanta rolls the dice on squeezing more out of him in a contract year. Either way, the decision will ripple through the NFC South.