Dave Canales managed to get some decent returns from his squad as the season went on. The Carolina Panthers became more competitive over the second half of 2024, but there is a significant amount of hard work ahead before they can seriously contend.
Canales was a contentious hire. Most analysts believe this came too soon for the progressive coach. He only had one season of play-calling experience to call upon, so it represented a journey into the proverbial unknown from the Panthers' perspective.
Dan Morgan knew Canales. They had a previously developed relationship from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks. They also shared an aligned vision for the future, which was a foreign concept throughout previous regimes under David Tepper's ownership.
It took a while for Canales' teachings to bear fruit. The Panthers looked destined for another top-three selection once upon a time, and the fanbase's disillusion grew following his decision to bench quarterback Bryce Young. But eventually, things started to click.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator learned some harsh lessons as a rookie head coach. He'll take them on board as the Panthers look to capitalize on some welcome stability across the franchise. There are problems, but it could be a lot worse according to one NFL analyst.
Carolina Panthers are showing signs of life under head coach Dave Canales
Patrick Daugherty from NBC Sports placed Canales at No. 23 in his offseason head coach rankings. He acknowledged the jury is still out on the hire to a certain extent, but Young's resurgence and some pleasing moments give the Panthers hope.
"On the whole, [Dave] Canales’ rookie year was all over the map, but the point is, it wasn’t all bad. Especially when it comes to [Bryce] Young, that was not an outcome that could be taken for granted. 2025 will be more telling. Will Young take another step forward or hit a mediocre plateau? Will Baker Mayfield continue to exceed expectations in Tampa and make the 2023 coordinating performance that got Canales the Carolina job look less impressive in retrospect? Valid questions, but hardly the most damning ones you could be facing after Year 1."Patrick Daugherty
This is a fair assessment. Canales displayed some encouraging signs, but nobody was getting too carried away. Fortunately for the coach (and Morgan), Tepper saw enough to give the project time. That was the primary objective above all else in Year 1.
Kicking on is the next challenge. The Panthers have been aggressive in pursuit of fixing some glaring defensive issues this offseason. If Morgan can hit on his nine selections during the 2025 NFL Draft, it shouldn't take too much longer for additional growth to arrive.
It was always going to be a step-by-step process to get the Panthers back among the Super Bowl hopefuls. The pieces are slowly coming together, and Canales has implemented a refreshing culture across the franchise that players have responded positively to.
That puts the Panthers on sounder footing. If the recruits slot in seamlessly and the team's young stars develop accordingly, one couldn't dismiss the prospect of Carolina competing for the NFC South title next time around.
Should this scenario come to fruition, Canales will be much higher on every head coach ranking list in 2026.