Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton will undergo tests in Charlotte on Sunday after leaving Saturday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans with a right elbow injury. Dalton exited the game after completing six plays and was replaced by Jack Plummer for the remainder of the matchup, which ended in a 20-3 loss for the Carolina Panthers.
Medical staff evaluated Dalton on the sidelines and placed a protective sleeve on his arm, but he did not return to play. Head coach Dave Canales addressed Dalton’s status following the game.
“Looks like an elbow sprain,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after the 20-3 loss to the Texans Saturday. “We’ll image it tomorrow, so I don’t really have the details of all that. He was moving it around fine.
“He said he feels fine, but we’ve got to take a look and see what happens there.”
Dalton did not speak to reporters postgame.
Long snapper JJ Jansen recounted seeing Dalton get hit as he threw but noted there was no significant concern at that moment.
“It sounded like everyone was just treating him with the utmost of precaution,” Jansen said. “He was certainly acting himself on the sideline, helping with Jack, talking with the guys, connecting with the teammates. But when it’s the elbow and the throwing arm of a quarterback, much like pitchers in baseball, you always exercise some caution, especially in the preseason.
“But when he came out of the game, I just sort of assumed that it was Jack’s turn, like, there wasn’t any sort of chaos or worry on the sideline.”
Starting quarterback Bryce Young stated he had no specific medical updates but observed that Dalton seemed normal while interacting with teammates during and after his time on the field.
“He was Andy on the sideline,” Young said. “Always locked in, always talking with us and Jack and being involved. Obviously, I’m not on medical staff, I don’t know anything about that, but he’s himself. He’s always going to say he’s good and then have that positive energy and everything going around.
“So obviously I pray it’s nothing serious.”
The Panthers are expected to learn more about Dalton’s condition following imaging tests scheduled for Sunday.
