Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young had a rough Week 15, but head coach Dave Canales is standing behind the former first-overall pick. Selected out of Alabama in 2023, Young had a disastrous rookie season in a terrible environment. The Panthers hired Canales to save the young quarterback, and things didn’t go to plan early on. The coach benched Young after two starts and turned to veteran Andy Dalton. However, following a car crash, Young returned to the starting spot and never looked back.
While the jury is still out on whether or not Bryce Young can be a true franchise quarterback, the Alabama product has played his best football over the past month and a half, and head coach Dave Canales wants to see what he can do down the stretch. During a recent press conference, the head coach praised his quarterback and announced that Young would start for the remainder of the season.
“Watching him in game was what was so impressive. To see him just continue to stay in there, to have his footwork exactly where he needed to be to throw to No. 1 in progression and really still see the field…I’ve been around football for 15 years and see where games like that can really pile up on a guy..That was great and that’s exactly what it looks like to play quarterback.”
Dave Canales Says Bryce Young Will Remain Starter Throughout Season
This is the first time Dave Canales has officially made Bryce Young the full-time starter since his original benching. While Young has led the offense for the past seven games, Canales has never guaranteed him more than one week of job security. This vote of confidence implies Canales believes Young’s growth is legitimate and that Sunday’s struggle against the Dallas Cowboys was a one-time fluke. Time will tell if that assumption is correct, but Young will have the opportunity to prove himself over the final three games.
Thanks in part to Young’s improved play, the quarterback will probably remain with the team into 2025. Once viewed as an inevitable trade candidate, Young’s resurgence combined with the weak 2025 quarterback draft class means the Alabama product will likely remain on the roster for at least one more season. Perhaps the Panthers bring in a veteran like Jacoby Brissett as veteran insurance, but this will likely be Young’s job to lose.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
