Jul 24, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks to the media after practice at training camp. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Dave Canales' latest comments further prove benching Bryce Young was a huge risk

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 7:31 AM ET

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales made perhaps the biggest decision of his coaching career two games into it. After Week 2, he decided to bench an ineffective Bryce Young. This was a shocking move at the time, and it could've easily backfired. Top draft picks who get benched that early usually don't bounce back.

Young did bounce back, though. After a stint on the bench, he was a totally different player. The risk paid off immensely, and the Panthers are better for it. But there was a real chance that what Canales did could've blown the whole team up, and his latest comments prove that.

Dave Canales says Bryce Young disagreed with benching

Through two weeks in 2024, it really looked as if Bryce Young was just destined to never pan out at the NFL level. When the Panthers pulled the plug, it was as if they were pulling the plug on his career. Young didn't agree with that.

“He earned a lot of respect from his teammates, from me, that regardless of the situation — he didn’t agree with me on the decision not to play him — but he worked and he kept leading," Canales said via Pro Football Talk. "He was showing me, ‘This is my team.’ And he was showing his teammates, ‘You’re my guys.’"

It cannot be overstated how risky this decision was. Canales was hired because of his QB-whispering with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, and he was brought in to fix Young. After two weeks, it seemed like an admission that he couldn't save Young, and the team was doomed after paying so much for the QB.

That's obviously not the case now, but that is largely due to how Young responded while on the bench and the fact that his actual talent came out eventually. Otherwise, the Panthers might be in a totally different situation now.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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