The hiring of Canales makes a lot of sense for a team looking for a steady mentor for quarterback Bryce Young. The former No. 1 overall pick did not progress in his first season, which turned out to be a disastrous campaign that led to Carolina firing Young’s coach, Frank Reich, midway through the year.
While Young struggled, Canales worked wonders with Baker Mayfield in 2023, guiding the quarterback to the best season of his career, a wild-card win, and an appearance in the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs. Carolina seems to be hiring Canales with the hope that he can have a similar impact on Young, who the Panthers invested a lot in, but had a disappointing rookie season.
At 42 years old, Canales becomes the fifth Hispanic head coach in NFL history and brings 14 seasons of NFL coaching experience to Charlotte. This will be the first time he oversees an entire team in his career. He has a championship pedigree, having helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII as an assistant quarterbacks coach. However, he will face a bigger challenge as the latest choice to lead the struggling Panthers under owner David Tepper’s watch.