Coach Dave Canales was clearly excited about how he called plays for second-year quarterback Bryce Young in the Carolina Panthers’ season finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
His excitement highlighted the significance of the season.
“Being able to call whatever I wanted, knowing he was going to find a positive outcome, he was going to find a throwaway, a big play, a scramble for a touchdown,” Canales said after the Panthers’ 44-38 overtime victory, where Young threw a career-high five touchdowns. “And how freeing that is just to be able to call whatever fits that area, not having to second-guess the calls.
“He gave us the ability to do that today.”
While much of the attention has been on Young’s growth – especially after he was benched following an 0-2 start and returned as the starter in Week 8 – Canales’ development as a first-year NFL coach is just as important.
Canales adjusted his playcalling to meet Young’s needs, helping build hope for the future of a 5-12 team coming off a seventh straight losing season. This also played a key role in making owner David Tepper comfortable enough to enter the offseason with the same coach, general manager Dan Morgan, and quarterback for the first time since 2019.
“Hopefully, that allows Bryce to [say], ‘Look, we’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for just growth and let’s go for it together. Let’s find the solutions together,” Canales said. “I have loved that we have kind of taken those steps together.”
Players noticed Canales’ optimism when he greeted them at the start of the 2024 offseason workouts and how that optimism stayed strong despite a tough 1-7 start. They also saw how Canales’ growth aligned with Young’s development, turning from a potential bust as the No. 1 draft pick in 2023 into what Canales now calls “our guy.”
“That was the reason coach Canales was hired, because he has a unique ability to meet guys where they’re at, really give them an opportunity to show him who they are, and then take what they’ve shown him and really just emphasize what they do well,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really been around a coach that has really just been able to evaluate first and then emphasize what guys are doing. It just shows a sign of a true leader and a guy who knows what he’s doing.”
In his first 11 games, Young threw 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. But in his final 3 games, he threw 10 touchdowns with no interceptions, achieving the best TD-to-INT ratio in the league during that period, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
With Young and the offense improving, Canales can now focus on the defense, which allowed a league-record 534 points this season and ranked near the bottom of the league in most categories.
Canales is confident in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and believes that injuries played a big part in the defense’s struggles. Canales quickly confirmed Evero will return, though changes have been made to the defensive staff with the firing of secondary coach Bert Watts and outside linebacker coach Tem Lukabu.
There is still hope for improvement on defense.
“Canales really has something good going,” said inside linebacker Shaq Thompson, who hopes to re-sign and retire with the Panthers.
The return of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1, along with Thompson’s possible return after an Achilles injury in Week 2, will help strengthen the defense. General Manager Dan Morgan also has $33 million in cap space and 9 draft picks to improve the defense.
But the biggest reason for optimism is the stability the team now has. For the first time in three years, there’s no coaching search, and they have a quarterback to build around.
“That’s building a culture, right?” Thompson said. “You can’t build if everything keeps changing.”
Long-snapper JJ Jansen, who has been with the Panthers since 2009 and hopes to re-sign as a free agent, said the team hasn’t had this kind of stability since 2020.
“The biggest element of stability was who coach Canales was every day,” Jansen said. “It exudes calm throughout the building.”
Canales’ decision to bench Young in Week 3 was a crucial part of that stability. It was a choice he felt was best for the team, and in the end, it worked out for both Young and Canales. Young didn’t return to the starting role until Andy Dalton’s injury in an October car accident.
Young now understands Canales’ decision and believes their relationship is strong.
“I trust him,” Young said. “I’m super grateful for [the relationship] … what he means to the team, what he means to the room. Being able to pick his brain has been great and super influential for me, just being able to learn.
“I have a lot of respect for him personally, and just the consistency that he brings, being able to be himself no matter what.”
Canales doesn’t like revisiting the decision to bench Young, but he’s excited about how both of them grew from the experience.
“I love that story,” Canales said. “It is a cool story, and it is kind of the nature of what we’re doing. I’m excited for the progress and for where we are headed next.”
