Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) and quarterback Bryce Young (9) on the sideline during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
If you have made it all the way to the NFL, odds are you have gritted through a painful injury or two. That's the nature of football players, who will generally do everything they can to stay on the field - including playing through concussions.
The thing is, players should not be making decisions about who gets to keep competing and who would better serve the team by standing on the sidelines. They can't be trusted, because even if they suffer a debilitating injury that makes them a liabiity, they'll try to play through it if they can.
Andy Dalton did just that this past week against the Buffalo Bills. We learned yesterday that Dalton suffered a broken thumb on his second series for the Carolina Panthers - but he didn't immediately inform the coaching staff.
It should come as no surprise that Dalton is getting praise for this decision. Here's what Bryce Young had to say about it in the locker room following Thursday's practice.
As a good teammate, this is what Bryce Young is supposed to say - and if nothing else he can always be relied on to say the right things.
That being said, it's something that Young shouldn't have to do, because Dalton did not do his team any favors by hiding the injury.
It was abundantly clear to anyone paying attention that by the end of that second possession Dalton did not have what it takes to beat a professional football team. That dynamic bore true for the rest of the game, and Dalton's grotesque performance was the single biggest reason why they lost as bad as they did - even counting Carolina's atrocious run defense.
If Dalton were being a good teammate he would have immediately informed the Panthers of his injury. Head coach Dave Canales probably would have kept Dalton in the game anyway - but at the very least it would have given him what he needed to make an informed decision at QB.
Based on the fact that they just signed Mike White to the 53-man roster, they're probably not very confident about Hendon Hooker's ability to lead this team right now. However, it's hard to imagine how he possibly could have done any worse than Dalton did. The next time he gets injured in the middle of a game, Dalton has to do the right thing and fess up.
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