The Carolina Panthers announced on Tuesday that quarterback Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident in Charlotte earlier in the day.
Per the team, Dalton’s wife, three children and dog were in the car when the collision occurred in southeast Charlotte. Nobody from Dalton’s family required emergency transportation from the scene. Dalton was undergoing evaluation by team medical personnel at the time of the announcement.
No other details about the circumstances of the accident or any resulting injuries were clear at the time of the announcement.
Dalton, 36, is Carolina’s starting quarterback. A 14th-year NFL veteran and former Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton signed with the Panthers prior to the 2023 season to back up then-rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
Dalton played briefly in relief of Young in 2023, then took over as Carolina’s starting quarterback this season when Young was benched for poor performance after an 0-2 start. Dalton started for Carolina in Week 3 in a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and has remained the starting Panthers quarterback since amid a 1-5 start to the season.
Young has relieved Dalton twice during blowout losses in Weeks 5 and 7, prompting questions about another potential quarterback change.
While it sounds like Dalton and his family avoided serious injury, it wasn’t clear from the initial reports if the accident put Dalton at risk of missing time on the field. If Dalton were to miss time, Young is the next quarterback up on Carolina’s depth chart. Carolina will next play the Broncos in Denver on Sunday.
