Dave Canales saw improvement from the Carolina Panthers over the second half of 2024. However, a notable development around the NFC South hasn't gone unnoticed by the head coach.
Canales is focused on what he can control. He's currently busy working alongside Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis to make the roster enhancements needed to potentially enter the NFC South title picture next season. At the same time, he'll be keeping a close eye on developments elsewhere that could directly impact the Panthers' chances.
One element, in particular, has already raised urgency from Canales' standpoint. Something he got to see first-hand during Carolina's final game of the campaign.
The Atlanta Falcons raised a few eyebrows when they took quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft just a few short weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a huge contract in free agency. It was a long-term investment, but the Washington product got thrown into the fire quicker than anticipated when the veteran struggled to meet expectations.
Carolina Panthers wary of Michael Penix Jr.'s threat after impressive start
Penix was ready for the moment. His primetime starting debut against the resurgent Washington Commanders went to overtime before Jayden Daniels led his team on a touchdown drive. The same fate befell the player in Week 18 versus the Panthers.
It was a toe-to-toe battle between Penix and Bryce Young. Carolina won the coin toss in overtime and Atlanta never saw the football again for the second consecutive week.
Canales came out on the other end smiling, but it didn't take long for the fear factor to arrive. The head coach knows Penix is going to be a problem for a long time. That's providing him with the focus needed to keep things trending in the right direction.
"That was exciting, but it was also pretty scary, you know. Just kind of seeing Michael Penix step up and make those plays and just really going drive-for-drive, battling that way. It was an exciting feeling to come off of that field for sure because we won but also because you could just feel the sense of like, all right, here's what we have to look forward to. Here's the challenges that we have to meet. So, it does add to the urgency for all of us. It starts with our division, and there's some really good teams in our division."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
It was a relatively small sample size from Penix, but that doesn't detract from how well he transitioned. His vast experience at the college level and learning behind Cousins served him well. He looked more than capable of becoming the Falcons' franchise quarterback, although it's too early to crown him for definite.
Penix and Young could embark on a long-standing rivalry with high stakes attached in the coming years. The Panthers have a chance to enter wild-card discussions after winning back respect. Atlanta underachieved in 2024, but they have some dangerous playmakers on both sides of the football if the second-year quarterback kicks on in year two.
Young has the tools to match any quarterback in the division after his sensational turnaround. Even so, Canales is right to be wary of the threat posed by Penix after he caught the eye significantly down the stretch.
It's been a long time since genuine rivalry and competitiveness reigned in the NFC South. Thanks to the presence of Baker Mayfield and the emergence of both Young and Penix, that's about to change.