Dave Canales was a surprising choice to replace Frank Reich as head coach. He had just one season of play-calling experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and there was no interest during the hiring cycle before the Carolina Panthers pounced. That didn't stop the NFC South team from taking the plunge.
This hire received criticism. Many analysts felt like this opportunity came too soon for Canales. They wondered how he would cope with managing an entire NFL operation, especially considering he was also planning to call offensive plays. It quickly became a baptism of fire as expected, but the Panthers displayed some encouraging signs at long last.
Carolina was never going to be in the Super Bowl hunt. However, Canales deserves plaudits for navigating some early turbulence and providing hope for the future.
Fans believe he was the right man for the job. It looks like the Panthers got ahead of the game rather than playing catch-up for the first time under David Tepper's ownership.
This gave the Panthers some vital stability heading into the 2025 offseason. They are not chasing a head coach, general manager, or starting quarterback. It's not the finished article just yet, but fans are starting to see some light at the end of a dark tunnel of perennial dismay.
Canales can look back on his first season with pride. With this in mind, here are the five best decisions made by the head coach in year one of his tenure.
Best decisions from Dave Canales in year one as Carolina Panthers head coach
Offensive line blocking concepts
The Carolina Panthers' offensive line was an abomination before Dave Canales' arrival. Everyone aside from stud right tackle Taylor Moton underperformed last season and quarterback Bryce Young paid a heavy price. But after some hefty investments, hopes were high this group could take a step forward in 2024.
Canales kept things simple. He hired Joe Gilbert to get them to sing from the same hymn sheet. The coach also implemented blocking concepts that were far better suited to their strengths.
This sounds simple, but it's a complication that Frank Reich and his staff couldn't solve. Everyone benefitted from the additions of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt in free agency. Being more physical and getting the football out of the quarterback's hands quickly saw this unit go from a weak link to the team's biggest strength.
Changing the blocking concepts was a shrewd, necessary move from Canales. And the progress was a significant positive from start to finish.
Making Chuba Hubbard a focal point
Dave Canales made his intentions clear when becoming Carolina Panthers head coach. He wanted to be stubborn running the football and establish an identity of physical aggressiveness from the outset.
This wasn't easy considering the Panthers were playing from behind more often than not over the first half of 2024. Once Canales decided to make Chuba Hubbard a genuine focal point, it didn't take long for improvements to arrive.
Hubbard's story is refreshing. He went from a poor rookie campaign to a core foundational piece for the future. Canales lauded the former fourth-round pick for his emerging leadership and tone-setting work ethic throughout the offseason. When he got the necessary workload, the Oklahoma State product thrived.
Canales gradually leaned on Hubbard more as the season went on. His momentum built and his confidence increased. He emerged as one of the league's most productive runners under the coach's guidance.
This left general manager Dan Morgan convinced enough in Hubbard to give him a four-year extension — a decision that looked even better when second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks suffered another torn ACL that is expected to keep him out until 2026. Canales got more out of the backfield threat than most anticipated, and things could look even better next season with schematic stability.
Sticking to his principles
The Panthers were 1-7 once upon a time this season. Questions were being asked about whether Dave Canales was the right man for the job. The team had supreme confidence in his capabilities, but some analysts wondered if the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator was out of his depth.
Canales remained a beacon of positivity amid the doom and gloom. While most first-year head coaches would have panicked and altered their approach with pressure building. He decided to stick to his principles instead.
It took time, but this paid off over the second half of 2024. The Panthers were more effective, especially on offense. They were competitive versus some legitimate Super Bowl challengers and got themselves to five wins. This represented the biggest sign yet that Canales' unrelenting methods were starting to bear fruit.
Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen commended Canales' unwavering belief in his ethos. This stability and poise in the chaos left its mark on the locker room. It kept standards high and effort at maximum levels. And the improved performances spoke for themselves.
For Canales to adopt this stern resolve in the face of adversity — especially given team owner David Tepper's trigger-happy firings since taking control of the franchise — was a recipe for success. And the billionaire hedge fund manager might have gotten a head coaching hire right at long last.
Trusting young Carolina Panthers players
Dave Canales probably knew that his squad wasn't going to be good enough this season. The Carolina Panthers were rooted at rock bottom with nowhere to go but up under his leadership. There were positive changes throughout the offseason, but it was always going to take time.
It was a rollercoaster campaign as expected. However, one of the biggest underlying positives to emerge centered on Canales' trust in his young players.
Canales placed significant responsibilities on some unproven commodities. Most of the 2024 NFL Draft class got extended playing time during the season. The Panthers also found two undrafted gems in wide receiver Jalen Coker and safety Demani Richardson. The head coach had no qualms about putting a lot on their plate to see how they'd cope.
Even when the Panthers weren't performing as expected and injuries began to take their toll, Canales' belief in his fledgling stars never wavered. He took the rough with the smooth, continuing their development and keeping spirits high. This holds a ton of weight with players looking for someone to believe in.
This experience is going to serve them well. Canales deserves praise for throwing his inexperienced players into the fire and keeping faith with them through the good times and bad.
Benching Bryce Young
One of the biggest reasons Dave Canales got the head coaching job in Carolina was his work with quarterbacks. He helped Russell Wilson to superstardom. He galvanized the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. The Panthers were hoping he could do the same for Bryce Young after his woeful rookie campaign.
The early signs were promising throughout the offseason. That didn't transition to a competitive setting as Young had some legitimate difficulties over the first two games of 2024.
Young's confidence waned to demoralizing levels. Players were becoming frustrated and everything was out of sync. This forced Canales into drastic action early in his tenure.
The Panthers benched Young in favor of Andy Dalton. They received scathing criticism for supposedly giving up on the former Alabama star too soon. Canales thought taking him out of the firing line and allowing him time to develop away from the spotlight was the best route forward. He was right.
When Young came back into the lineup, he looked like a different player. There was poise, conviction, and pocket presence. The Heisman Trophy winner was aggressive and played with a swagger that's hard not to love. He came through in the clutch and got everyone to follow his lead.
This was a bold move from Canales that could have gone either way. He trusted Young's resolve to come out on the other end smiling. Carolina's future looks incredibly bright as a result.