The Carolina Panthers added to their quarterback room in free agency by signing Kenny Pickett, which could lead to a trade.
With Pickett heading to Carolina on a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, he’ll likely serve as Bryce Young’s backup, meaning Andy Dalton could be expendable.
Dalton has been with the Panthers since 2023 as a backup, but with Pickett now in the fold, there really isn’t a place for the veteran on the roster.
Carolina has already received calls on Dalton this offseason, so moving him makes a ton of sense, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings could be potential trade partners.
The Chiefs need to find a new backup signal-caller after Gardner Minshew departed in free agency for the Arizona Cardinals, and acquiring Dalton for the role would be a savvy move from general manager Brett Veach.
Dalton’s 169 games of starting experience would also be incredibly valuable to Kansas City if Patrick Mahomes isn’t ready to return from knee surgery for the start of the 2026 campaign.
Green Bay also has a hole at backup quarterback with Malik Willis leaving for a three-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Dalton would be a fantastic No. 2 quarterback behind Jordan Love and would add more experience to the position group for the Packers.
Minnesota is still searching for a veteran signal-caller to compete with J.J. McCarthy. If they strike out on all their other targets, especially Kyler Murray when he gets released by the Arizona Cardinals, trading for Dalton would be a solid backup plan.
The 38-year-old could still pose a threat to McCarthy for their starting job and put some pressure on the Michigan product heading into a make-or-break 2026 season.
Dalton can still be a high-level backup and even a viable short-term starter for a franchise, and the Chiefs, Packers, and Vikings could be potential landing spots for the former Pro Bowl signal-caller if he gets traded by the Panthers.
