Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Bailey Zappe

Tuesday, February 18, 4:15 PM

The Carolina Panthers and quarterback Andy Dalton agreed on a two-year, $8 million deal on Tuesday that includes $6 million guaranteed and has a maximum value of $10 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The veteran signal-caller will remain in Carolina, where he's developed a close relationship with starter Bryce Young. Dalton, 37, ended up making five starts for the Panthers in 2024 after the team benched Young following his slow start. In his six appearances in his second year in Carolina, the Red Rifle completed 66.3% of his 160 pass attempts for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions before suffering a thumb injury in a car accident that gave the Panthers a reason to go back to Young to end the year. Young looked the best he has in his young career to close out 2024, so Dalton will be entrenched as his backup entering the 2025 season.

Friday, March 14, 1:08 PM

A day after adding quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the quarterback room, the Kansas City Chiefs re-signed QB Bailey Zappe to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Zappe began last season with the Kansas City Chiefs but eventually joined the Cleveland Browns and started the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, going 16-for-31 for 170 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick (137th overall) by the New England Patriots in 2022 out of Western Kentucky will open the 2025 season as Kansas City's third-stringer behind Mahomes and Minshew. In his three years in the NFL, he has completed 62.1% of his 335 pass attempts for 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.