Redemption specialist Dave Canales has nearly completed his magnum opus

Canales has completely changed the trajectory of the Panthers and his QB Bryce Young.

Matt Alquiza | 7 Hours Ago

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales was hired by the Carolina Panthers to do two things: salvage the career of number one overall draft pick Bryce Young, and in turn, win football games. With two weeks to go in the 2024-25 NFL season, Canales can all but check those two things off of his list.

The Panthers have officially doubled their win total from 2023-24 and Bryce Young is playing like a franchise quarterback. Canales' first year as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers is an undeniable success.

Those black and white metrics: wins, QBR, PFF grades, etc., are small feathers in the first-year signal caller's cap, but there's more to Canales' unbridled success than tangible metrics. Folks who have followed the Panthers for a long time can feel that things are moving in the right direction.

December football in the Carolina's has been fairly meaningless for much of this decade. A nominal playoff run under the watch of Steve Wilks down the stretch of 2022 is the only time Panthers fans have had much holiday cheer when it comes to their football program. Otherwise, those who have attended December Panthers' home games have arrived to the stadium to find coal in their seat. It's been bad.

Even though the vibes are good in Carolina, there is still major work to be done. Canales has Carolina on an upward trajectory, and if it continues, the 2024 Carolina Panthers who are set to play the role of the Grinch this holiday season should blossom into a fringe playoff contender in 2025.

Ruining good teams season's down the stretch is good fun. Being one of those good teams is even better.

The skeleton key to Carolina becoming one of those good teams lies in the hands of the quarterback that Dave Canales was brough into fix: Bryce Young.

The svelte second-year quarterback proved on Sunday afternoon that no moment is too big for him. Young, the same quarterback that was benched after two disastrous outings early in 2024, just orchestrated his third game-winning drive of the season (and it's arguable that he should have at least two more), carved up an ascendant Arizona Cardinals defense with his arm and his legs, and put up the best PFF grade of his young career.

One day the story will be told of what happened on Mint Street during Bryce's time away from the starting lineup. Whatever that story may hold, it will be one that details the transformation of Young from flame out to flamethrower. Since his return to the lineup nearly two months ago, Bryce Young is playing like a top 15 quarterback in the NFL. What a timeline.

The sky is the limit for the duo of Canales and Young, and the former of the two has merit to be named one of the league's preeminent quarterback whisperers. His work in resurrecting the career of Young (after doing so for Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield) and dragging the Panthers out of the league's basement is somewhat unbelievable, and credit needs to be given where credit is due: David Tepper nailed the hire of Dave Canales.

Canales isn't wholly clear of criticism. His in-game management is shaky, his play-calling leaves some to be desired, and his unwavering positivity can be hard to see through. However, the pros absolutely outweigh the cons, and as Canales grows as a game manager, play-caller, and communicator, he'll only become a better overall coach.

Buy stock in both Canales and Young this holiday season. It's only going up from here.