Panthers' Dave Canales reflects on 'risk' of benching Bryce Young during 2024 season

The biggest decision Dave Canales made during his first campaign serving as head coach of the Carolina Panthers involved benching quarterback Bryce Young after Young was responsible for a pair of woeful performances to start the 2024 season. 

Over the weekend, Canales reflected on turning to veteran Andy Dalton before Carolina's Week 3 game at the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I struggled with that a lot because you see historically what can happen when you have a quarterback (who) comes in and you go through some challenges," Canales said about sitting Young last September, as shared by Joseph Person of The Athletic. "Some guys don’t have the resilience to be able to battle through the emotional strain, as well as the football strain combined. I was nervous about that and I struggled with that. That decision was not taken lightly. That risk brought out the best in Bryce."

Canales wasn't with the Panthers when they made Young the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it's no secret the 23-year-old was upset about being benched after just two starts last September. Canales had to go back to Young for Carolina's Week 8 game versus the Denver Broncos after Dalton was sidelined with a sprained thumb he suffered in a car accident. That situation ultimately proved to be somewhat of a blessing in disguise for Canales and Young. 

"During that time while we were still kind of repairing our relationship, we made it about football because that’s what we could control today," Canales said about Young. "How can we grow our processes? How can we have conversations about what we’re doing offensively? And then just attack the football part. To have that part, that commonality, that mutual respect, I was impressed with how he kept coming back to work and just attacking it."

Young impressed coaches as he connected on 24-of-37 pass attempts for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Carolina's 28-14 loss to Denver. With Young in the lineup, the Panthers won four of their final nine contests to finish the season at 5-12.

Across his last 10 starts, Young completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 223 yards and five scores over those games. 

"Bryce, during the season, showed me his leadership," Canales added during his comments. "Showed me that even when we were a struggling team, even when I took him out, he stayed in the center of it. And he continued to lead. And for him to have the respect to say, 'Look, I don’t agree with your decision, coach.' But working together to continue to grow this thing means so much."

Young will be eligible for a contract extension after the upcoming season, but there remain more questions than answers regarding whether he can be a long-term answer at the sport's most important position for the team that drafted him. He'll look to answer those questions beginning with Carolina's Week 1 matchup at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 7.