Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will start Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, the team announced Friday after listing Bryce Young as doubtful for the game.

Young suffered a high ankle sprain in his right leg in last week’s win against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. He’s missed three straight practices with the injury, and a league source said earlier in the week that Young was expected to miss at least one game.

“It would be tough,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said Friday when asked about Young possibly playing Sunday without practicing. “Bryce and I talked early in the week and said, ‘Hey, let’s just push this thing every day. Let’s see where we’re at.’ … We got to be smart. It’s wise of us to just take it day by day and see if we can get back out there and continue to build.”

Hendon Hooker, who has been on Carolina’s practice squad since the start of the regular season, will be Dalton’s backup against the Bills. Carolina also added quarterback Mike White to its practice squad Tuesday. White has spent time with the Jets, Bills and Miami Dolphins over the last four seasons.

Sunday will mark Dalton’s 169th career start and seventh with the Panthers since joining the team in 2023. He is 1-5 as a starter in Carolina, including a 1-4 stint last season and a loss at Seattle in 2023. This season, Dalton has completed 9 of 13 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Carolina is 4-3 and riding a three-game winning streak — their longest streak since winning the first three games of the 2021 season. The Panthers haven’t been above .500 this deep into the season since 2019.

What’s going on here?

No one with the Panthers expected Young to play against the Bills after he sustained what The Athletic has reported was a high ankle sprain. But Young told Canales and the training staff he wanted to “push this thing” to see if he could make a quick recovery, and the Panthers were willing to give Young the chance to do so. Carolina also probably didn’t hate the idea of trying to keep Buffalo guessing, although the guess here is that Bills coach Sean McDermott and his staff have been preparing for Dalton all week, given that Young didn’t take a single snap. — Joe Person, Panthers beat writer

What about Young’s status for next week?

Shortly after Young’s MRI on Monday, the hope around the Panthers’ building was that the third-year quarterback would only miss one game. Canales said Young progressed in his rehab and strengthening exercises throughout the week, which would seem to bode well for his status for next week’s game at Green Bay.

Young’s long-term health is too important to risk jeopardizing it by rushing him back. The Panthers have an experienced backup in Dalton, who will start Sunday regardless of Young’s status, according to a team spokesperson. If that’s the case, the Panthers aren’t trying to fool anyone any longer and should have listed Young as out. — Person