Trending toward Week 3 start

Dalton will work with the first-team offense at Thursday's practice with Bryce Young (ankle) sitting out the session and appears to be in line to start Sunday's game in Seattle, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Young picked up the ankle injury at some point during Monday's 20-17 loss to the Saints and will now be listed as a non-participant on the Panthers' first two Week 3 practice reports. Though Young could get back on the field Friday to practice in some fashion, David Newton of ESPN.com notes that Thursday's session is the most critical of the week for the Panthers with regard to installing their game plan for the matchup with Seattle. Additionally, Person notes that Dalton is set to meet with the media Thursday, an indication the Panthers are planning to proceed with him as their starter for Week 3. The 35-year-old is little more than a competent game manager at this stage of his career, but Dalton's experience, accuracy and ability to limit mistakes might be enough to lift up a Carolina offense that has struggled under Young's stewardship for the first two weeks of the season.