Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers' first-string offense couldn't get anything going against the Houston Texans. But head coach Dave Canales made his stance on the third-year quarterback crystal clear.
The Panthers were once again out of sync, gaining just three points and looking completely disjointed on both sides of the football. There were some bright spots at NRG Stadium, but there is a lot of hard work ahead before Week 1 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars rolls around.
Carolina Panthers have seen enough from Bryce Young to inspire confidence
Canales pulled Young from the field after six snaps and two series. That was a contentious issue among the fan base on social media, especially with the unit failing to generate momentum. Still, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator felt like the work earlier in the week meant he didn't need to force the issue.
"I just wanted them to go out and earn another series. And I just really felt like, you know, with giving him two shots to do it and it not coming up, I wasn't going to just put him back out there to kind of say, hey, let's just play some more football. That kind of paired with we got great work two days ago, and I just kind of looked at it that way."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
The coach also confirmed that Young and the starters won't play in Carolina's final preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Canales doesn't believe the Alabama product needs more time on the field before Week 1. He's encouraged enough by his progress to keep him on the sidelines, which is another massive confidence boost for the player heading into a crossroads campaign.
Canales' belief in Young couldn't be clearer. And the signal-caller is brimming with optimism about what the future holds for this offense when the real action commences.
"I feel comfortable. I have all the confidence in the world in this group. I'm excited for where we're going. I'm excited where we're headed. I'm excited for us to continue to go."Bryce Young via Panthers.com
It's only the preseason. Fans get carried away one way or another, but the focus within the building stays the same. The Panthers are looking to make major improvements to potentially enter the NFC South title race in 2025. And Canales thinks he has the quarterback capable of getting this franchise back to prominence.
That hasn't changed after one subpar warmup outing. And all signs are still pointing up for Young.