Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Tyson Bagent

Thursday, August 21, 6:05 PM

Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Saturday, August 23, 12:28 AM

Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent completed 20 of 28 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears' 29-27 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears agreed on a two-year, $10 million extension with the backup quarterback on Wednesday, and then he overcame a two-score deficit in their final preseason game of the season. Bagent led a 10-play, 87-yard game-winning drive with under 90 seconds to go in the game, which ended in a six-yard touchdown to Jahdae Walker with seven seconds left in the game. Bagent will enter the 2025 season in relief of starting quarterback Caleb Williams, and he proved he can be productive given the opportunity this preseason.