Dave Canales' bizarre reasoning hints at no way back for Bryce Young in 2024

With another game getting away from the Carolina Panthers and injuries piling up, head coach Dave Canales threw Bryce Young into the fire on mop-up duties during their Week 5 defeat to the Chicago Bears. It was the first time he'd experienced starting involvement since his benching after Week 2. There was one nice throw, but it was a difficult situation for the quarterback overall.

Andy Dalton didn't set the world alight either. Teams have enough game film to properly prepare for the veteran now and the regression was evident. The Panthers were too cautious schematically and didn't lean on in-form running back Chuba Hubbard enough. They paid the price, and Carolina now sits at 1-4 through five games with another losing campaign on the not-too-distant horizon.

Carolina Panthers protected Andy Dalton at the expense of Bryce Young

Putting Young into the mix solved absolutely nothing. Canales' reasoning behind the decision was even worse.

"Just saw that as an opportunity. We had a couple of injuries on the offensive line and wanted to get him there to get some live reps, and he did a fantastic job. Playing with energy, extending plays, and finding some completions down the field. It's a hard situation, but at that point, with the different things happening on the offensive line, you know, I wanted to get Andy [Dalton] out of there."

- Dave Canales

So Canales was fine throwing Young to the wolves - the only quarterback on the roster with a long-term outlook or trade value - behind an under-strength offensive line missing Taylor Moton and Austin Corbett, but not Dalton? That seems a strange way to approach matters. It's also a sign that the Panthers are planning to move forward with the former second-round pick for the foreseeable future.

If Canales had said the game was getting out of hand and he wanted to see if Young could show signs of life following a torrid start to his NFL journey, then fair enough. But to prioritize Dalton's welfare in favor of an undersized signal-caller in his second season was a bizarre statement.

The Panthers are going nowhere fast. Dalton's limitations are obvious. There is no confidence in Young whatsoever despite what Canales portrays in front of the media. It's a complete mess at football's most important position, and this roster doesn't have the talent elsewhere to mask these failings.

This is not a retool. It is a rebuild. Let's just call things as they are. The Panthers are a long way from competing even when they're at full strength. Canales can bemoan his injury problems all he wants, but that doesn't mask the poor execution on both sides of the football.

Young didn't look particularly engaged when speaking to the media after this one. That's understandable considering he was thrown into a no-win situation that Canales thought was too harmful for his new starter. The trust has gone from both sides, so the player is probably waiting eagerly for a fresh start elsewhere when the time comes.

As for Canales? His back is against the wall. Nobody expected the Panthers to be fighting for the NFC South title or even attaining a winning record in Year 1 of his tenure. However, the same problems that blighted previous regimes are once again evident. That's a far cry from what was promised before the campaign.

That is the most unacceptable thing of all. The sooner this quarterback distraction is stabilized, the better Carolina's chances will be.

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