CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have benched 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after the second-year quarterback’s rough start to the season.
Andy Dalton will take over as the starter for Carolina’s next game on Sunday at Las Vegas.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have benched 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after the second-year quarterback’s rough start to the season.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young leaves a news conference after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young hands off to running back Miles Sanders during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales right talks to quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passes against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he made the decision after watching game film from Sunday's 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
He informed both QBs of the decision on Monday after consulting with general manager Dan Morgan and vice president of football operations Brandt Tillis.
“After watching the film and taking in all of the information I feel like Andy gives us the best chance to win,” Canales said.
Canales wouldn't say if Dalton will remain the starter beyond this week saying “right now the focus is on this week.”
Canales also wouldn't say exactly what led to the decision to bench Young.
“I don't want to get into the specifics as those are private conversations,” Canales said.
Canales had worked with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, helping turn their careers around. He was hired in part to get the most out of Young, who struggled last season as a rookie with nearly as many interceptions (10 ) as touchdown passes (11).
But Young's struggles as a rookie have carried over to this year.
He's completed just 31 of 56 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions as the Panthers have started 0-2 this season for the second straight year and have been outscored 73-13 by the New Orleans Saints and Chargers. Young has run for one touchdown, the only one of the season for Carolina.
When asked if Young still has the support of the locker room, Canales said “that's a loaded question. Right now our focus is to make sure that we fix the film from yesterday and get ready for the Raiders.”
Young is 2-16 as a starter overall since the Panthers traded up eight spots in the 2023 NFL draft to get him.
The Panthers made a significant investment in that deal with Chicago, sending wide receiver D.J. Moore and four draft picks to the Bears — one of which turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft after the Panthers finished a league-worst 2-15 last season. The Bears used that pick to take quarterback Caleb Williams.
Young becomes the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the common draft era starting in 1967 to be benched for non-injury reasons in his second season.
He hasn’t looked much like a No. 1 overall pick since his arrival, continually looking flustered in the pocket and often making poor decisions and throwing into double coverage. His first throw this season was an interception against the Saints in the opener and things only seem to have gotten worse.
Young was booed repeatedly by the home crowd on Sunday after the offense stalled time and time again.
Carolina was 1 of 12 on third down conversions and the Panthers were outgained 349-159.
When asked about his confidence after the game, Young said, “I draw my confidence from the Lord. I’m very blessed. I’m grateful for this challenge. Not an ideal start, but God does everything for a reason. I have faith in that.”
Young said he needed to do a better job with his decision-making.
“You always want to make a play. You want to do something,” Young said. “Obviously, part of the position is being the game manager. Some bad instances of that on film today. I definitely take accountability for that.”
Dalton is 83-78-2 as a starting quarterback in the NFL, including one last season with the Panthers. He has thrown 246 touchdown passes and 144 interceptions since coming into the league in 2011 with Cincinnati.
Dalton said Monday he was surprised by the move, but is excited about the opportunity to start again in the NFL.
“When I came here, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another opportunity, and so I’m really looking forward to it," said Dalton, who missed a portion of training camp with a quad injury. "I’m excited about what’s ahead. And, you know, it’s a tough situation. I’ve been on both sides of it, and it’s hard. I mean, it’s hard on everybody, but for me, I mean, I’m looking forward to it.”
Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble said he still feels Young is a great quarterback and said the blame shouldn't fall all on the QB's shoulders.
“We haven’t done the best (as teammates) to help him show his ability,” Tremble said. “I’ve seen the flashes and what he does on a daily basis in practice. I think just together as a group I feel bad that we couldn’t show that on Sundays.”
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert hug on the field after an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young leaves a news conference after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young hands off to running back Miles Sanders during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales right talks to quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passes against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
NEW YORK (AP) — Six years after a teenage Greta Thunberg walked out of school in a solitary climate protest outside of the Swedish parliament, people around a warming globe marched in youth-led protest, saying their voices are being heard but not sufficiently acted upon.
Emissions of heat-trapping gases and temperatures have been rising and oil and gas drilling has continued even as the protests that kicked off major weeklong climate events in New York City have become annual events. This year, they come days before the United Nations convenes two special summits, one concentrating on sea level rise and the other on the future.
The young people who organized these marches with Fridays for Future said there is frustration with inaction but also hope. People marched in Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi and elsewhere, but the focus often is in New York City because of Climate Week NYC. Diplomats, business leaders and activists are concentrating their discussions on the money end of fighting climate change — something not lost on protesters.
“We hope that the government and the financial sector make polluters pay for the damage that they have imposed on our environment,” said Uganda Fridays for Future founder Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, who was among a few hundred marching in New York Friday, a far cry from the tens of thousands that protested in a multi-group mega-rally in 2023.
The New York protest wants to take aim at “the pillars of fossil fuels” — companies that pollute, banks that fund them, and leaders who are failing on climate, said Helen Mancini, an organizer and a senior at the city’s Stuyvesant High School.
“A lot of older people want to make sure the economy is intact and that's their main concern,” said Julia Demairo, a sophomore at Pace University. “I think worrying about the future and the environment is worrying about the economy.”
On a day that was at least 8 degrees warmer than average, protest signs included “This is not what we mean by Hot Girl Summer," while others focused on the theme of fighting the coal, oil and gas industries: “Youth Didn't Vote for Fossil Fuels,” “Don't Be a Fossil Fool” and “Climate Crisis = Extermination By Capitalism."
Nakabuye said she was in New York to represent Uganda “that is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.”
“We feel like we are creating an impact in the community. However, we are not listened to enough; there is more that needs to be done, especially right now when the climate catastrophes are intensifying,” said Nakabuye . “We need to even raise our voices more to demand change and to demand that fuels should end."
In the six years since Thunberg founded what became Fridays for Future, global carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels has increased by about 2.15%, according to Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists who monitor carbon pollution. The growth of emissions has slowed compared to previous decades and experts anticipate peaking soon, but that's a far cry from the 43% reduction that a UN report said is needed to keep temperature increases to an agreed-upon limit.
Since 2019, carbon dioxide emissions from coal have increased by nearly 1 billion tons (900 million metric tons), while natural gas emissions have increased slightly and oil pollution has dropped a tiny amount, according to the International Energy Agency. That growth has been driven by China, India and developing nations.
But emissions from advanced or industrialized economies have been falling and in 2023 were the lowest in more than 50 years, according to the IEA. Coal emissions in rich countries are down to levels seen around the year 1900, and the United Kingdom next month is set to shutter its last coal plant.
In the past five years, clean energy sources have grown twice as fast as fossil fuels, with both solar and wind individually growing faster than fossil fuel-based electricity, according to the IEA. Developing countries — where more than 80% of the world population lives — say that they need financial help to curb their increasing use of fossil fuels.
Since 2018, Earth has warmed more than half a degree Fahrenheit (0.29 degrees Celsius) with last year setting a record for the hottest year and this year poised to break that mark, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European climate agency Copernicus.
“We're making progress, even if it's slow progress,” said 17-year-old Ashen Harper of Connecticut, a veteran protester turned organizer. “Our job right now is to accelerate that progress.”
In Berlin, hundreds of people took to the streets although in fewer numbers than in previous years. Activists held up signs saying “Save the Climate” and “Coal is Over!” as they watched a gig put on outside the German Chancellor’s Office. Protesters in London held up letters spelling out “Pay Up,” calling for the country to pay more to adapt to climate change and transition away from fossil fuels.
Associated Press journalist David Keyton in Berlin contributed to this report.
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
A girl holds a banner with a message that reads in Portuguese: "Stop setting fires in nature", during a global climate protest in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Protesters carry placards as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Protesters cross the Brooklyn Bridge during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Protesters carry placards as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People demonstrate with a sign reading "stop fossil fuels" in the City of Bochum, western Germany, as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Protesters cross the Brooklyn Bridge during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A girl takes part in a Fridays for Future protest in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Protesters shout slogans as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A kid holds a placard during a Fridays for Future protest in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)
People demonstrate for the the 1.5 Celsius Climate threshold in the City of Bochum, western Germany, as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
People demonstrate in the City of Bochum, western Germany, as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Demonstrators of the Fridays For Future movement march through the government district near the chancellery, background left, as they take part in a Global Climate Strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Activists shout slogans during a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future' movement demanding immediate climate action from policymakers in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Protestors show placards as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future' movement near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A man works on a painting as he takes part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Activists shout slogans during a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future' movement demanding immediate climate action from policymakers in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Demonstrators walk across Munich's Königsplatz with a placard reading "Stop fossil subsidies" during Fridays for Future protest in Munich, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Felix Hörhager/dpa via AP)
Protesters hold letters and shout during a global week of action for climate finance and a fossil free future protest in London, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Students hold placards as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest, part of the Fridays For Future movement, near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A demonstrator holds a placard reading "Politics - Climate - Change" during a Fridays for Future protest in Munich, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Felix Hörhager/dpa via AP)
Demonstrators walk across Munich's Königsplatz with a placard reading "Stop fossil subsidies" during Fridays for Future protest in Munich, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Felix Hörhager/dpa via AP)
Protestors show posters as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future' movement near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Protestors show placards as they take part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future' movement near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A demonstrator dressed in a Spiderman costume takes part in a march calling on the government to take stronger action to control fires in the country's Amazon region, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
Demonstrators march calling on the government to take stronger action to control fires in the country's Amazon region, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
FILE - Environmental activist Greta Thunberg shouts slogans during the Oily Money Out protest outside the Intercontinental Hotel, in London, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - Environmental activists including Greta Thunberg, center left, marches with other demonstrators during the Oily Money Out protest at Canary Wharf, in London, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - Climate activists attend a rally to end fossil fuels, in New York, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File)
A man works on a painting as he takes part in a Global Climate Strike protest of the Fridays For Future movement near the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Protesters hold letters and shout during a global week of action for climate finance and a fossil free future protest in London, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
