Bryce Young Practices Fully, Eyes Week 9 Start

Bryce Young has shown clear progress from a high right-ankle sprain, moving into full participation and throwing during Wednesday practice while working in individual drills, putting him on track to potentially reclaim the Week 9 starting job in Green Bay. He missed Carolina’s Week 8 loss to Buffalo, a game in which veteran Andy Dalton — who has a right-thumb issue and did not practice Wednesday — struggled and committed multiple turnovers. Carolina's decision is complicated by a string of offensive-line injuries, including Brady Christensen's Achilles issue, Cade Mays’ ankle/knee problems and Taylor Moton’s knee, and the team activated Chandler Zavala’s 21-day practice window to bolster depth. Coaches described Young as day-to-day and optimistic after encouraging running and throwing sessions, but analysts urge caution because high-ankle sprains can require multiple weeks to heal. The Panthers will continue to monitor his reps Thursday and Friday and plan to make a game-time decision; Young’s availability will materially affect Carolina’s offensive outlook and playoff hopes.