Dave Canales makes the right decision in naming starting quarterback for week 18

Bryce Young will get one more start to close out the season.

Matt Alquiza | Dec 30, 2024

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Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young, the floor is yours one last time in 2024-25.

On Monday afternoon Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced that Bryce Young would start the team's final contest in Atlanta. After a roller coaster of a 2024 that included a coaching change, an offensive coordinator change, an upheaval of his weaponry, a controversial benching, a dramatic return, and an ascension into the league's upper-echelon of quarterback prospects, Young will ring in 2025 as the unquestioned starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers.

Dave Canales said Bryce Young and the Panthers' other starters will play Sunday at Atlanta.
"We have one more week to finish strong."
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 30, 2024

Week 18 isn't the time for Carolina to take their foot off of the gas. After being decimated in all three phases by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Canales had the option to enter the offseason safely and send out reserves to finish out his first season as a head coach. For a team that has been ravaged by injuries their entire campaign, it would be a sensible decision, but going out swinging is the right move for Carolina.

A win over the Falcons will eliminate Atlanta from postseason contention. The boost of confidence that Carolina would receive from knocking out another team from the playoffs would be euphoric heading into the offseason. Bryce Young has rightfully been nicknamed 'the Carolina Reaper,' and a knockout blow to the Falcons would be another notch in his belt.

Outside of Young, Carolina has a number of inexperienced starters that could boost their stock with a strong week 18 performance. Rookies Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, and Ja'Tavion Sanders need all of the reps they can handle at this point in their careers, and a matchup against Atlanta's struggling secondary could be just what the doctor ordered.

On defense, Canales has no choice but to play his starters. Said starters are already the backups because the preferred starters are mostly injured.

The two greatest seasons in Carolina Panthers history, 2003-2004 and 2015-2016, were spring boarded by strong finishes the year prior. If Canales and company can win two out of three games down the stretch, the last one being within their division where they currently tout a 1-4 record, it would be the final step in phase one of his plan to change the culture in Carolina.