“I’ve been around guys. I think Andy Dalton’s got a special character to him and understanding of this offense,” Whitworth recalled saying. “We’ve gotta buckle down and just play with this guy as our quarterback, and we’re gonna be a lot better than you guys think.”

Said Ezekiel Elliott, who watched Andy Dalton step up in Dallas: “It didn’t matter if he was getting hit, taking it in the face. He stayed level-headed.”

The Carolina Panthers signed Andy Dalton in 2023 to help Bryce Young develop. However, after Young was officially benched, Dalton told reporters that he was surprised head coach Dave Canales had elected to switch quarterbacks.