Dave Canales back-tracks after peculiar comments cause national media tirade

Dave Canales has taken some heat over his reasoning behind throwing Bryce Young into the fire in Week 5 at the Chicago Bears. The first-year head coach stated initially that it was to protect veteran starter Andy Dalton with injuries piling up along the offensive line. This led to speculation he was happy enough to damage the former No. 1 pick's confidence further rather than a 36-year-old with no long-term upside whatsoever.

It doesn't take much for those around the media to lay into the Carolina Panthers these days. They are perceived as an easy target and the NFL's laughingstock. Another poor opening to the season means it'll be a long time before this narrative changes. Ill-advised comments like this from Canales only add fuel to the fire.

Leading media figures blast Dave Canales over Bryce Young comments

The criticism was scathing, both from the fanbase and some prominent figures in the media. Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back when discussing the issue on ESPN's First Take. In particular, the Pro Football Hall of Famer criticized the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator for comments he believes should have been kept to himself.

"This man said we have some injuries on the offensive line. Let's put our quarterback that we benched, who's dealing with some confidence issues, who has been sacked and battered damn near more than any other quarterback in the NFL in his first 18, 19 starts. Let's put him behind a banged-up offensive line, and let's see what he can do. Man… Dave Canales, you should have kept that to yourself. I wouldn't even have said anything."

- Shannon Sharpe

Smith also stuck the boot in, wondering why the Panthers were so eager to protect Dalton and calling the Panthers the league's worst franchise.

"Shannon [Sharpe], you missed the worst part. He said he wanted to protect Andy Dalton. Not Bryce Young, Andy Dalton. He wanted to protect Andy Dalton. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. Listen, here's the deal. Right now, this is the worst franchise in football."

- Stephen A. Smith

Canales backtracked on this slightly during his media availability on Monday. He took the word protection out of the equation when probed again, focusing on the out-of-hand score with no chance for his team to triumph as the primary reason behind Young's introduction.

"Honestly, it was just taking all the things into consideration. Looking at the score of the game, I saw it as an opportunity to get Bryce Young out there to play some football."

- Dave Canales

Make of that what you will. Canales is a first-year head coach attempting to navigate some rough waters. He's had media training, but this situation is a prime example of how one statement can set off a proverbial powder keg. Especially considering how Young's early development was severely mismanaged by the previous regime.

It's a harsh lesson learned and a problem that could have been avoided. What's important for Canales is ignoring the outside noise and attempting to pick up his demoralized roster from rock bottom. That might be easier said than done, but he must keep plowing forward in the face of substantial adversity.

As for Young? He'll be back on the bench this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons. Canales values Dalton more highly - that much is abundantly clear. What that means for the signal-caller's future with the trade deadline approaching remains to be seen.

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