CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Andy Dalton will start as quarterback for the Carolina Panthers against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, regardless of whether Bryce Young is active or not, a team spokesperson said Friday.
Young is dealing with an ankle sprain; he is currently listed as doubtful for the 1 p.m. game.
A league source told ESPN on Monday that Young would not play against Buffalo after an MRI determined the quarterback had a high ankle sprain. The source said the hope was Young will be back for next week's game against the Green Bay Packers.
Young suffered the injury late in the third quarter of last Sunday's 13-6 victory against the New York Jets that improved the Panthers to 4-3 with their third straight win.
Coach Dave Canales insisted all week that the top pick of the 2023 draft was day-to-day even as Young worked Wednesday through Friday with trainers on the sideline.
Canales said Friday it would be "tough'' to put Young on the field having gone the week without taking any team snaps.
"Bryce and I talked early in the week and said, 'Hey, let's push this thing every day, let's see where we're at.' ... We've got to be smart. But it's wise of us to take it day to day and see if we can get him back out there and continue to push our football forward.''
This will be Dalton's first start for Carolina this season and sixth in three seasons. He is 1-5 in his previous starts for the Panthers.
"Every opportunity I get to be out there I'm going to enjoy every moment,'' Dalton said Thursday. "You never know how many you're going to get."
"Obviously, you hate that Bryce got hurt, but I get to be in there and get to be a part of it and impact the game, so every chance you get you look forward to it,'' he continued.
Dalton has a fun history with the Bills. In 2017, he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a victory over the Baltimore Ravens that allowed Buffalo to make the playoffs.
Bills fans donated over $415,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, doing so in $17 increments to honor the 17-year playoff drought. They also gave Dalton a standing ovation the next season for a preseason game.
"It was pretty cool,'' Dalton recalled.