CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera sat down with WCNC Charlotte's Ashley Stroehlein to discuss what his previous team is going through this season after having to bench first-round pick Bryce Young for veteran QB Andy Dalton.
"It was a very bold and courageous move I think that the organization had had to make," Rivera told Stroehlein. "I love the way that Coach Canales has stepped up the way he handled it ... really making sure everybody understood it. It's not just about one player, but it's about all 53 players."
Rivera compared it to when he had to make the difficult decisions to bench Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett or sit Taylor Heinicke for Carson Wentz and when he thought Alex Smith would give Washington a better chance at the playoffs than Dwayne Haskins would.
"You've got to do your best to give these guys an opportunity to believe that everything you're doing is to win," Rivera explained. "Having to sit Bryce is just this part of Bryce's process of learning and growing how he handles it, how he comes out of it, that will be up to him. And it'll say a lot about who he is as a young man and a young football player. I think he's a very talented guy that just needs a little more time to grow."
Rivera gave Dalton some credit for what he's done across his long NFL career, including giving the Panthers' its first win of the 2024 season on Sunday after being named the starter.
"[Dalton] has been a winner in this league, can help this football team a lot and can help set the future very brightly for this, this organization," Rivera added. "I'm gonna hold my breath and continue to cheer for him. They paid dividends already, so we'll see what happens as we go forward."
Dalton's next test will come at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.