Can first-year head coach Dave Canales help Bryce Young get his groove back? One league analyst seems to think so.
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks recently rolled out the offense on his All-Breakout Team for the upcoming 2024 season. Under center for the squad is the Carolina Panthers sophomore quarterback, who Brooks believes should benefit from a brand-new play-caller:
A disappointing rookie season spurred a mass exodus from Young’s bandwagon, but I believe last year’s No. 1 overall pick can bounce back under new head coach Dave Canales. The quarterback guru just helped Baker Mayfield resurrect his career in Tampa; now Canales can perform his magic in another NFC South city, helping Young regain his swagger in Charlotte. As the coach reshapes the Panthers’ offense to feature more quarterback-friendly concepts with better weaponry at Young’s disposal, the talented gunslinger could re-emerge as the blue-chip player who won a Heisman Trophy at Alabama and entered the 2023 NFL Draft as the belle of the ball.
The belle didn’t exactly ball out in 2023. Young averaged just 179.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 16 outings as a rookie.
But Canales, who helped push Mayfield and Seattle’s Geno Smith to career campaigns in his previous stops, has inspired fresh hope for the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, Canales appeared to be inspired by Young’s early progress in his system this spring.
“He’s curious, and he really challenges himself,” Canales told Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer. “He challenges himself to be great. He’s not satisfied with technique. He works on it to master it. He’s very methodical in how he goes about his studying, wants to know what’s happening with the routes, wants to hear the information. I love the curiosity that he brings to his work every day, and he’s got a patience about him too. He’s open to trying stuff.”
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