Latest update: Panthers quarterback battling injury ahead of big game against Bills.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - An ankle injury has Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young’s status for Sunday’s big game against the Buffalo Bills up in the air.

Young -- now in his third year with the Panthers -- sustained the right ankle injury during the third quarter of this past weekend’s 13-6 victory over the New York Jets, which marked the team’s third win in a row. Backup Andy Dalton came in and finished the game.

After Sunday’s game, Young was seen leaving the Jets’ stadium in a walking boot, and on Monday, both national and local reporters said the 24-year-old was likely to miss the Bills game. Panthers head coach Dave Canales, though, has yet to confirm that.

On Monday, Canales said Young was looked at as being “day-to-day” with his injury, and at no point has he called it a sprain -- even when specifically asked if that was the case.

With Young’s status still very much in limbo, he took a big step on Wednesday when he showed up in uniform to the Panthers’ first practice of the week. Video captured him doing exercises off to the side, doing some dropbacks and tossing a few passes.

Canales did say that Young did not take any reps in practice -- Dalton took all the first-team snaps -- and the team’s official injury report listed Young as a nonparticipant. Still, Canales said his quarterback was able to do more Wednesday than he did Tuesday.

“That’s our plan right now,” Canales said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “Each day try to push him a little bit more, try to see if we can get him out there in a different capacity ... We’ll just take it day-to-day and make the best decision.”

A more subtle observation from Wednesday’s practice was that Young was working out in cleats, and did not appear to have brace visible, nor was his ankle noticeably taped.

“If Bryce is ready to go, he’s going to go,” Canales said of Young’s status against the Bills. “They all want Bryce to go, Andy included.”

While Wednesday’s practice was at the very least an encouraging sign for Young’s recovery, he will likely need to continue to ramp up his workload Thursday and Friday in order for the Panthers to feel comfortable starting him Sunday.

If Young is unable to play against Buffalo, Dalton would get the start, with either Hendon Hooker or newly signed Mike White serving as the backup.

Panthers QB Bryce Young was spotted at practice Wednesday, despite an ankle injury that could keep him out of this week's game.

Latest injury update: https://t.co/gUZnAVg3w6 pic.twitter.com/U5GtiXMjUf

— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) October 23, 2025

The win over the Jets advanced the Panthers to a 4-3 record, pushing them above .500 for the first time since 2021.

Beating the Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen will be no easy task for Carolina; however, Buffalo is coming off two straight losses, and has the second-worst run defense in the NFL -- something that is a strength of this Panthers team.

Despite the Panthers’ three-game winning streak, they were listed as 7.5-point underdogs on Thursday morning by FanDuel.

Kickoff for the Panthers-Bills matchup is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, where Carolina is a perfect 3-0 in 2025. The game will be broadcast on FOX with Panthers legend Greg Olsen on the call.