Why Dave Canales decided to rest Panthers starters again in preseason game vs. Jets

Panthers head coach explains his reasoning for resting all of Carolina's starters in Saturday's preseason game against the Jets.

Tim Weaver | Aug 18, 2024

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the first quarter against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Carolina Panthers

Not long before kickoff, the Carolina Panthers announced that they would rest some 37 players for Saturday night's preseason game against the New York Jets, including all of their starters. The Jets did the same on the otherside, so you can guess what happened next.

Instead of an Aaron Rodgers vs. Bryce Young showdown, we were subjected to the combo of Jack Plummer and Jake Luton going up against Adrian Martinez and Andrew Peasley, and if they didn't watch you could probably fool most fans into thinking all four of those QBs were completely made up.

In the end, neither team averaged more than 3.5 yards per play and nobody scored a touchdown the entire game right up until the very last second. That's when rookie Panthers running back Dillon Johnson punched into the end zone from two yards out. The score did nothing to change the final result though, as Carolina went down by a score of 15-12.

Naturally, some fans are feeling antsy about not having had any significant starters play a single snap yet this preseason. After the game, head coach Dave Canales explained why he decided to sit them again.

Canales says that health played a big role in the decision not to play the starters tonight. pic.twitter.com/wBje8Tukx6
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) August 18, 2024

It doesn't make for good TV and it's a reminder why preseason games are an endangered species. However, Panthers fans should know as well as anyone the risk of quarterbacks getting hurt in August and how devastating it can be to a season. Like it or not, it's better that Bryce Young and the rest of the key players sit and not risk an injury in a meaningless game.