Panthers' Dave Canales discusses Bryce Young addressing team after loss to Chiefs

Per Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire/USA Today, second-year Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young impressed teammates with how he addressed the team following this past Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that dropped Carolina to 3-8. 

First-year Panthers head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters on Monday about that moment and all that Young has endured since September. 

"I’m just proud of Bryce, the way he’s handled all this and the way that he’s progressed on a weekly basis," Canales said, Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons shared. "Each week there’s been improvement in the things that he’s doing. As the quarterback, to have a moment in the locker room where you can share your heart, you can share where you’re at with all of it. I think it’s important that the guys continue to connect that way, and the guys responded positively."

Canales benched Young after the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft was arguably the league's worst starting quarterback of the season's first two weeks; the 23-year-old has played better over Carolina's past four games after veteran Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident. Against the Chiefs, Young completed 21-of-35 passes for 263 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. ESPN's Ben Solak noted that Young "hit throw after throw after throw in the intermediate and deep areas of the field by reading out blitzes and throwing catchable footballs into tight windows" versus Kansas City. 

In his past four starts, Young connected on over 61 percent of his throws for 784 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Most importantly, Carolina won two contests and gave the reigning Super Bowl champions a genuine scare at Bank of America Stadium.

"Yeah, it’s just the ownership of the concepts, first and foremost, having answers for different pressures," Canales added about Young's performance. "Where am I going with this ball if they do this? Going through all of those what-if scenarios. And then on top of that, knowing he’s got guys out there he can trust." 

Young is on track to start when Carolina hosts the 5-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Panthers as six-point underdogs for that matchup.