New Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales Shares Positive First Impressions of QB Bryce Young

New Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales shared his initial thoughts on second-year quarterback Bryce Young as players reported for voluntary workouts on Monday.

Canales praised Young’s understanding and performance in the new system, expressing his admiration for the former Alabama quarterback to the media.

“He’s doing fantastic with it,” Canales told ESPN. “Our formations are pretty basic right now so we can focus on teaching the concepts we want for each route, the depth, the footwork. As expected, he’s really mastered that part of it.”

Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had a challenging rookie season under former head coach Frank Reich, who was fired midway through the year. The Panthers also had multiple play-callers working with Young, creating a chaotic environment for the rookie.

Now, Young is paired with Canales, who took the head coaching job after an impressive stint as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, where he helped Baker Mayfield revive his career and lead the team to the playoffs.

Under Canales, Mayfield achieved the best completion percentage of his career at 64%, a strength Young has already demonstrated in early workouts, exciting the new head coach.

“Deep balls, short, intermediate—he’s a really accurate passer,” Canales said. “One of the things I really love is I can really focus on the footwork, his base, and the mechanics of where his eyes are when I know the ball is reaching the receivers.”

While one workout won’t solve everything, it’s an encouraging start as Young aims to build his career in the NFL.