A week away from their 2024 preseason opener, the Carolina Panthers are searching for a quarterback. Head coach Dave Canales admitted as much Thursday, revealing that veteran backup Andy Dalton is set to miss at least "a couple of weeks" after suffering a quad injury during training camp.
Dalton, 36, was absent from Carolina's annual FanFest practice on Thursday, and his actual recovery timeline isn't set in stone: "We're not sure exactly," Canales said of the veteran's rehabilitation schedule. "It's a couple of weeks, but we'll work him through it."
A multi-week absence would threaten Dalton's availability for the entire three-game preseason slate, which begins Aug. 8 against the New England Patriots and closes Aug. 24 against the Buffalo Bills. Hence the Panthers' quick pivot to add another signal-caller behind second-year starter Bryce Young.
Besides Young, the only other quarterback under contract is undrafted rookie Jack Plummer, who signed with the team this spring after finishing his college career at Louisville. Dalton, meanwhile, is one of the most experienced backups in the NFL, boasting a combined 163 career starts, most of which he made while leading the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011-2019. He appeared in three games for Carolina in 2023.
Which emergency arms could the Panthers add in Dalton's absence? Former Tennessee Titans standout Ryan Tannehill is the biggest name still available, and he said recently he's open to a new opportunity for 2024, but he was admittedly picky about previous free-agent offers, and Dalton is fairly entrenched as the No. 2 when healthy, so these fellow free agents feel like more logical possibilities:
A two-time Super Bowl champion thanks to backup stints behind Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, Gabbert spent four years in the NFC South from 2019-2022, so he's a relatively familiar face. With almost 50 career starts and experience on six different teams, he could make for seamless short-term insurance.
It's been years since Barkley actually threw an NFL pass, but he's been around the block enough to offer an instant understanding of the pro game, which is more than can be said for Jack Plummer, the sudden No. 2 to Bryce Young. He also once aided in mentoring Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills.
The one-time Denver Broncos starter has had some trouble staying healthy himself, but he's at least got recent starting experience, going 2-1 with the New York Jets in place of Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson in 2023. He also notably threw 11 touchdowns to just three picks with the New Orleans Saints in 2021.