Late-blooming NFL star QB credits Panthers coach Dave Canales for speaking life into him

Seahawks QB Geno Smith says Dave Canales helped him break through to become who he is now

Sep 24, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) shakes hands with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9, right) following a 37-27 Seattle victory at Lumen Field. / Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers have tried to follow a familiar pattern since David Tepper took over the franchise. While he came from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization Tepper has clearly attempted to model his team after the success of the Seattle Seahawks, who were at worst a fringe playoff team all 14 years Pete Carroll was their head coach. Carolina's GM Dan Morgan spent the first eight years of his career in Seattle and the team's new head coach Dave Canales was there even longer, first as a wide receivers coach (2010-2017) and then working with their quarterbacks (2018-2022).

It's the work that Canales did in that final year with the Seahawks that must have convinced the Panthers that Canales was the right choice to bring the best out of Bryce Young, who floundered in his rookie year under Frank Reich. That season Geno Smith changed seemingly overnight from being a mediocre backup QB into one of the NFL's most accurate, aggressive and clutch performers. After standing on the sidelines the previous seven years, Smith suddenly enjoyed a huge breakout, playing at a top-10 level and making the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons.

A lot of people deserve credit for Smith's late-blooming development, incuding Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, but Smith also singled out Canales for speaking life into him. Watch.

Geno credits Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, and Dave Canales for their unrelenting positivity and belief in him during his journey of overcoming adversity pic.twitter.com/WfJDmex42V

— Chickens and Mentals Caretaker (@_danchu) August 9, 2024

Last year as their offensive coordinator Canales helped steer the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ship in the right direction, getting former number one overall pick Baker Mayfield playing at his best again for the first time in several seasons.

If Canales can help engineer a similar turnaround for fellow first overall pick Bryce Young, the Panthers will be relevant again sooner rather than later.

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