Panthers news: Julius Peppers, Dave Canales, Luke Kuechly and Christian McCaffrey

Carolina Panthers HC Dave Canales takes a stand

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers are the league's laughingstock right now. A two-win season and handing over the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft are just two reasons. David Tepper's incompetent ownership and drink-throwing incident at the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't exactly paint the franchise in a great light, either.

Fans tuning into the NFL Honors evening didn't have to wait long for Carolina to become an easy target. Host Keegan-Michael Key's opening soliloquy featured a joke involving the Panthers and Taylor Swift, which was objectively hilarious but also represented an indictment of how the franchise is being perceived around the league.

The joke didn't go unnoticed by new head coach Dave Canales. He posted a reaction on social media involving a thinking face and bookmark emojis. He wasn't part of the suspect operation of previous regimes, but it's a sign of the hard work ahead in pursuit of altering this narrative.

Canales is no fool. He knows that Carolina's head coach position has been a poisoned chalice in recent years. Many candidates looked the other way during the recent hiring cycle. But shirking challenges isn't in his character.

It's not going to happen overnight. But the first objective on Canales' list next season will be restoring a sense of pride and respect for the Panthers. After all, it's been a long time since this fanbase had a team to be proud of.