NFL Rumors: Panthers' Bryce Young 'Optimistic' About Working With HC Dave Canales

After a disastrous rookie season, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is reportedly "optimistic" about turning things around under new coach Dave Canales.

Joseph Pearson of The Athletic reported Young "likes that [Canales is] young with a strong track record with quarterbacks."

Canales spent just one season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator before being hired by the Panthers. He previously spent 13 seasons on the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff under Pete Carroll, working with wide receivers for eight years before moving into a quarterbacks coach/passing coordinator role.

The last two years have seen Canales' reputation soar in NFL circles, thanks in large part to his work with journeyman quarterbacks. He was instrumental in Geno Smith's breakout in 2022 with the Seahawks and then parlayed that into stellar work with Baker Mayfield this season.

Mayfield was closer to settling in as a career backup than he was a starter when he arrived in Tampa, having been cast aside by the Cleveland Browns and then released midway through the 2022 season by the Carolina Panthers. While Mayfield looked solid in a short-term stint with the Los Angeles Rams after exiting Carolina, it was nothing compared to his 2023 under Canales.

Mayfield threw for a career-high 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, leading the Bucs to an NFC South championship and an upset win in the Wild Card round over the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for 686 yards and six touchdowns against two picks in the Bucs' playoff run overall.

Young, meanwhile, threw 11 touchdowns in his entire rookie season. Eight of his 16 starts featured him throwing for zero touchdowns, and he had only two multi-touchdown games all year. As CJ Stroud soared in Houston, Young floundered in Carolina.

The Panthers did him no favors by surrounding him with arguably the worst skill-position group in the NFL, but it's clear Young needs a guru next to him to turn around his NFL career. If Canales' performance in Tampa is any indication, he might just be the guy.