Dave Canales prevented Panthers' locker room mutiny by benching Bryce Young

Dave Canales is feeling the pressure of being an NFL head coach. The beacon of positivity that filled the Carolina Panthers with enthusiasm throughout the offseason has been replaced by a somber figure giving little away after just two games. If he thought this was going to be smooth sailing and continue his rapid ascension in league circles, he was sorely mistaken.

Canales made his first significant move in-season, and it was a big one. Starting quarterback Bryce Young has been benched following another confidence-sapping performance against the Los Angeles Chargers. Andy Dalton will come in to replace the former No. 1 pick - a move that has grave consequences for the franchise whether it goes well or not.

The Panthers mismanaged Young in the worst way imaginable last season. His self-belief was shaken worse than anyone envisaged, Canales included. His poise and ability to make smart decisions in almost any situation en route to a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Alabama deserted him. It's going to be a long road back for the signal-caller. He'll have to move on unless Dalton goes down with an injury.

This is reminiscent of Zach Wilson's situation with the New York Jets. Carolina is now in the market for a new franchise quarterback just 18 months after giving up the earth to move up and take Young. Nobody taken No. 1 overall has been benched this quickly. But make no mistake, there will be teams around the league who'll see Young's situation with the Panthers and think they might be able to get a bargain reclamation project in a more stable environment.

Bryce Young's benching came from Carolina Panthers' locker room friction

Joe Person of The Athletic also speculated about David Tepper's involvement. The beat writer stated that nothing gets done in Carolina without the owner's input. He also hinted that the decision to bench Young came amid increasing locker room upheaval regarding his lack of self-motivation and poor production.

"Anybody who knows this franchise knows nothing happens without David Tepper's blessing. And I think he was heavily involved. About the mood in the presser, the most interesting thing I heard from [Dave] Canales - and he kind of snuck it in - he was really not giving much in the way of detail, but he said that he can stand up now, in front of the group of 53 and he can demand their best energy and their best effort and their best performance. I think we had a situation here where guys were kind of looking around at each other in the locker room. Adam Thielen very publicly threw a sideline tantrum. The quarterback sets the tone for the whole organization, and it was just a good energy emanating from Bryce [Young] in the early going."

- Joe Person, The Athletic

If Canales is trying to save the locker room after two games of his tenure, there's a problem. Young didn't play well, but he's not the only one failing to meet expectations. Carolina's run defense is abysmal and causing unnecessary complications. Things aren't much better at the defensive second level or the secondary, although Jaycee Horn represents a reason for optimism.

Canales will be vindicated if Dalton comes in and immediately gets a better tune out of the offense. If not, then the problem lies with the scheme, in-game management of the head coach, or offseason recruitment from general manager Dan Morgan.

The Panthers have received criticism from every area of the media since the benching was confirmed. Their quest to remove the laughingstock tag and win back respectability is off to the worst possible start. If Dalton fails after they all but wrote off Young, this organization will drop to new depths of despair.

And they'll have nobody to blame but themselves.

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