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David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers will stick with quarterback Bryce Young for Sunday’s game against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Bank of America Stadium.
He will have some help, too.
Coach Dave Canales said he “fully expects” running back Jonathon Brooks to make his NFL debut after spending the first half of his rookie season rehabbing from ACL surgery last November at the University of Texas.
Young won his past two starts before the bye week, helping the Panthers (3-7) to consecutive wins for the first time since 2022.
“This is about the continued progress, Bryce looking more and more confident,” Canales said Monday as the team returned from its bye. “Just an aggressiveness to his play … and of course the end result, winning.
“He continues to do things to put us in a position to put him back out there and continue to build on that.”
The Chiefs (9-1) are coming off their first loss of the season, a 30-21 setback to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Young led the Panthers to a 20-17 overtime win against the New York Giants in Munich and a 23-22 victory against the New Orleans Saints in his past two starts.
The top pick of the 2023 draft is 2-3 this season and 4-17 for his career. He was benched in favor of Andy Dalton after an 0-2 start, but got the job back after Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a minor car accident.
Brooks will team with Chuba Hubbard, fourth in the NFL in rushing with 818 yards. Canales said he doesn’t expect running back Miles Sanders to play.
Carolina, despite being in last place in the NFC South, finds itself only 2½ games behind the division-leading Atlanta Falcons (6-5).