Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton is not practicing on Wednesday for what is being called "a day off" by team reporter Joe Person. Dalton was involved in a car accident on Tuesday, but he and his family did not sustain any serious injuries. His excused absence from practice is likely a precautionary measure. The former second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 has started the last five games for the Panthers following the benching of 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Dalton has been up-and-down in his 14th NFL campaign, completing 66.3% of his passes for 989 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions. Young will handle valuable first-team reps in Wednesday's practice, but it remains to be seen if he will get back the QB1 duties sometime this season.

The Carolina Panthers are opening wide receiver Adam Thielen's (hamstring) 21-day practice window on Wednesday for him to return from Injured Reserve. Thielen was placed on IR with a right-hamstring injury and he's already missed the required four games, meaning that if the Panthers like what they see from him in practices this week, they could activate him on Saturday and have him active for Week 8 against the Denver Broncos. The 34-year-old will slot into starting three-wide sets upon his return alongside Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette. In three games before getting injured, Thielen caught just eight of 12 targets for 109 yards and one touchdown. His fantasy upside upon his return won't be as high as it was a year ago with the rookie Legette becoming a part of this offense.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident with his wife and three kids on Tuesday. Dalton is being evaluated by Panthers medical personnel. Neither Dalton nor his family were seriously harmed and did not require transport by emergency medical personnel. The incident puts into perspective the fine line between real life and football. Thankfully, everyone close to Dalton was able to walk away from the situation. The Panthers have provided no further details at this time. Dalton has been the starter since he took over for Bryce Young in Week 3. While he provided a jolt to the offense during his first few weeks as a starter, the offense has since stalled. Fantasy managers will need to monitor this situation as we head into the weekend because it could affect the fantasy value of other players. Currently, there are no details on the extent of injuries Dalton suffered or if he even suffered any. Either way, it is simply nice to know that Dalton and his family are ok.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was benched for veteran Andy Dalton after just two games in 2024, and he has remained the backup despite the Panthers' struggles in recent weeks. Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has thrown for just 3,176 yards 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions through his first 20 NFL games. He has compiled a 2-16 record as a starter. While Carolina has not suggested Young is on the trade block, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said she thinks other organizations could be interested in acquiring him. "I think there's a lot of coaches and GMs out there kind of licking their chops going 'maybe we can do something with him'," Russini said. This is an early report, but it puts Young on the radar as a potential trade target worth monitoring. We've seen several highly-drafted quarterbacks dealt in recent seasons, so Young being moved is not completely off the table.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) said he thinks the plan is for the team to open his 21-day practice window this Wednesday. Thielen has missed all four games during the team's losing streak and will be eligible to come off Injured Reserve and play in Week 8 versus the Denver Broncos. The 32-year-old is recovering from a right-hamstring injury, but even if his practice window is opened this week, it won't guarantee his return to the field on Sunday. When Thielen does return, he'll enter three-wide sets alongside Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette, but he's unlikely to have the kind of fantasy upside he had in 2023 now that Legette is in the picture. The veteran pass-catcher had eight catches on 12 targets for 109 yards with a touchdown in three games before his injury. Those searching for wideout depth in deeper fantasy leagues could look to Thielen for depth if he's available.