Dave Canales: The Carolina Panthers’ new saviour? 

After a torrid period as an NFL owner, Carolina Panthers top man David Tepper has put the trust of the franchise in a rookie head coach with a solitary year of play-calling experience. Will it turn out to be a masterstroke from Tepper or just a precursor for more misery for Panther fans?   

It was only a mere 12 months ago the team were hiring another head coach. Former Indianapolis Colts head coach and Panthers QB Frank Reich was hired as the man to take the team forward, what followed was some of the worst football in recent team memory and Reich was fired with a putrid 1-10 record, what followed for the remainder of the season was Carolina compiling just 2 wins and securing the number one overall pick, which is unfortunately heading to the Chicago Bears.   

After failing to land a young hot-shot offensive coach a year ago, Tepper was determined to find his man this time. Once again Ben Johnson was the name commonly linked with the Panthers after leading the Lions to within a whisker of the Super Bowl. However similarly to 12 months ago Johnson at the last minute ruled himself out of the head coaching hunt unlike in 2023 Carolina was prepared.   

With the Washington Commanders, the team this year caught short by Johnson’s shock withdrawal the Panthers already had their head coach in place. Despite only a year of play-calling experience new Panthers head coach Dave Canales has over a decade of coaching experience in the NFL, with the majority of his career spent working with Peter Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.   

While Canales has been praised league-wide by former players who have worked under him, it’s his recent work reviving the career of his Quarterbacks that should have Panther fans excited. In 2022 as the Seahawks Quarterback coach former West Virginia QB Geno Smith had a career year working under Canales completing 70% of his passes for over 4200 yards and 30 touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl selection and winning the NFL comeback player of the year award.   

Following the success of Geno Smith under Canales he was promoted, this time taking over the offensive coordinator position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under head coach Todd Bowels. With Baker Mayfield at the helm in Tampa Bay, very little was expected from the team following the retirement of Tom Brady. Instead, similarly to Smith the year prior Mayfield had a career year under Canales.   

The former Heisman Trophy winner had career highs in completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns on his way to a CPOY nomination and his first pro bowl as the Bucs won a third straight NFC South title and disposed of the 2022 NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the wildcard round. And it was that stellar work with quarterbacks that convinced Carolina to hire Canales after a chastising rookie season for number 1 pick Bryce Young.   

Behind a struggling offensive line and with subpar weapons at his disposal Young threw for just 11 touchdowns and under 3000 yards as he won just games his rookie year. Couple this with number 2 pick CJ Stroud having a record rookie year and winning a playoff game led many Panther fans to question the selection of Young first overall. Fans will hope Canales and his new offensive staff will get the best out of Young the way he did with Smith and Mayfield.   

A lot of pressure is also at the doorstep of news Panthers GM Dan Morgan, after unsurprisingly parting ways with Scott Fitterer after a tumultuous reign as GM, Carolina and David Tepper decided to promote Dan Morgan from assistant GM a move which many questioned as Morgan had a front row seat to the litany of poor decisions made by Fitterer and his scouts.   

The Panthers need a complete overhaul on offence. Outside of stalwart Right Tackle Taylor Moton, the entire offensive line could be improved, at the WR position things are equally as bleak, rookie Jonathon Mingo struggled despite being a top 40 pick, and DJ Chark flashed on the odd occasion but not enough to earn an extension, and despite a 1000 yard season from Adam Thielen, the veteran receiver will be 34 when the new season gets underway and with his time in the league limited he may look for other opportunities to chase an elusive super bowl ring.   

With pick 33 being the Panthers’ first pick in this year’s draft it seems an offensive player is almost a guarantee for the Panthers, with the likes of Oregon WR Troy Franklin, and Duke OL Graham Barton two names being mocked to Carolina early. This year also sees a loaded free agency class at WR with the likes of Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman JR and Mike Evans potentially available, could Canales potentially tempt Evans to join him in making the move from Tampa Bay to Carolina?   

With the 6-year contract handed to Canales, it seems this a long-term move for the Panthers, but with the issue of David Tepper still being the overarching issue in Carolina it’s imperative he puts his ego to one side and lets the people he hired do their job without his constant interference and until he learns how to do that Carolina will continue to be a laughing stock in league circles for the foreseeable future.