CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is scheduled to make his second straight start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, who expect Derek Carr to return under center for the first time since Week 5.

Andy Dalton participated fully in Wednesday’s practice, but Carolina coach Dave Canales said he wanted to err on the side of caution and give Dalton another week to recover from the thumb injury he suffered in a car accident last week.

Dalton will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback.

“It was really me who took the decision out of Andy’s hands,” Canales said. “If you asked Andy, ‘Can you go?’ He would tell you yes. But a week ago he suffered a thumb injury. I just want to make sure we present it in the right state and framework. And I’m excited for Bryce to have another chance to develop these things.”

Meanwhile, Carr practiced Wednesday for the first time since injuring an oblique muscle in a game at Kansas City on Oct. 7.

Saints coach Dennis Allen said Carr was “counting shots a little bit.”

“I’m really encouraged by what I saw today,” Allen said while discussing Carr’s form. “The signs are optimistic for this weekend.”

Carr has missed three straight games, all losses for the Saints, who are on a six-game losing streak, their longest since 2005.

Rookie Spencer Rattler started in Carr’s place and New Orleans lost all three games by 18 points or more. Backup QB Jake Haener is expected to serve as Carr’s backup this week, Allen said.

Carr was 19 of 23 for 200 yards with three touchdowns in the Saints’ 47-10 rout of the Panthers in the season opener at the Superdome. The Saints built a 30-0 lead in the second quarter and were never challenged.

Young is 2-17 as a starter in the NFL, including an 0-3 mark against the Saints.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft completed 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards with two interceptions in Week 1. He was benched a week later, but returned to the starting lineup last week to replace the injured Dalton and had two touchdowns and two interceptions. in a 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Young said there was good and bad in his performance and called it “something to build on.”

Canales did not say who would be the starting quarterback beyond Sunday.

“We’ll take all the information from this week and then move forward and make the next best decision for the team,” Canales said.

The Panthers will be without wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who was traded to Baltimore on Tuesday along with a sixth-round pick in 2025. The Panthers received only the Ravens’ fifth-rounder in return next year, a sign of how eager they are. the Panthers. if they left Johnson behind.

Johnson was known for having locker room problems when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and criticized his quarterbacks.

Canales declined to say whether the same issues influenced the team’s decision to trade Johnson.

“I’m not going to go into too much detail,” Canales said. “We are going to protect many of these conversations and keep them at home. But collectively we thought it was the best decision for us.”

Young called Johnson a “great guy, a great person.”

The Panthers (1-7) hope veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen can return this week after missing the last five weeks with a hamstring injury.

Canales said it’s still unclear whether rookie running back Jonathon Brooks will make his NFL debut this week. Brooks hasn’t played since injuring his knee last season at Texas.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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