Sports
Andy Dalton Replaces Bryce Young as Carolina Panthers QB, Dave Canales Trying To Save Locker Room
Jul 30, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws during training camp at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports Things are messy in Carolina, and we’re barely halfway through September.
The Carolina Panthers are 0-2 after another blowout defeat, and they’ve made the call to bench Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton.
According to reports, this decision was made collaboratively by head coach Dave Canales, GM Dan Morgan and EVP Grant Tillis. One source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that this is Canales’ “first big boy decision.”
The Panthers drafted Young No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, Young had very few encouraging moments. Carolina only won two games, and their draft pick helped the Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in 2024.
But they’re already moving on from Young. At least for now.
At just five-foot-ten inches, there were major question marks about Young’s skillset translating to the NFL before the Panthers even selected him. To add insult to injury, the Panthers passed on Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Houston Texans and is already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
This is the quickest we’ve seen a No. 1 overall quarterback benched in recent memory. While the Panthers are a dumpster fire, Young has given their brass little reason to believe.
Not to mention, Canales is no dummy. He just watched owner David Tepper give the boot to Frank Reich after one season. Before Reich, Matt Rhule was supposed to be the savior in Carolina, and he was canned after two seasons despite a massive seven-year contract worth over $70 million.
It’s hard to say that the clock is ticking on Canales, who is just two games into his head coaching career after turning around Baker Mayfield’s career during his time as offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he’s not wasting any time with Young, and that’s probably smart for the rookie head coach.
The Panthers have a reputation since Cam Newton dragged them to a Super Bowl appearance of being, well, not the most functional organization. Canales does not want to see his players throw in the towel just two weeks into a long NFL season.
When asked if he still has the respect of the locker room, Canales gave a weird response.
“That’s a loaded question right there.”
The Panthers did what they had to do to at least keep this season afloat a little bit longer. You can’t give up on guys three weeks into the season, but Young has been an unmitigated disaster since the day he walked in that facility. While he might have been set up to fail, this needed to happen.
For Dalton, he’ll be tasked with literally just keeping the car on the road. Joe Flacco took the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs last season. Sam Darnold has the Minnesota Vikings humming offensively. It’s been done before, and the Red Rifle has a chance to grow his legend in Carolina if he can win a few games… or at least look competent out there.
Since departing the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton has started games for the Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He’ll travel to Las Vegas for a showdown with the Raiders in Week 3.
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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