Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales says Bryce Young has a new 'defiance to him'

The third year for the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback could be the charm. A rejuvenated Bryce Young appears to have a new confidence and attitude

Jun 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) high fives with Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (0) during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are coming off a promising finish in 2024. After a 1-7 start, the club won four of its final nine games. While a 5-12 record marked the seventh consecutive losing season for the franchise, it more than doubled the team’s win total from a 2-15 mark in 2023.

A major factor in the club’s second-half resurgence was the play of quarterback Bryce Young. He started the team’s final 10 games, throwing 15 touchdown passes (6 interceptions) while running for 223 yards and five scores. All this after he was benched by head coach Dave Canales after the first two games of the season.

The Panthers are in the midst of mandatory minicamp and there’s a noisier feel to the team at the moment, in a good way. There’s been some spirited interaction between Young and Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn. According to ESPN's David Newton, Canales has talked about his quarterback and other performers. He stated that “players are "going after each other.”

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after a victory over the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Canales had this to say about his rising signal-caller. “He just has a defiance to him. That’s just kind of his way of competing. He’s not super-animated with it, but he definitely thrives off of that, feeds off that energy. He takes chances when he can, because Jaycee is trying to bait him into throw the ball over there. But it does bring a level of confidence to the guys, ‘Hey, we’re dangerous when we’re out there.’”

Young and Horn have had their share of “conversations” during camp, and the four-year defender called that a “sign of progress.”

"If you’ve got a guy dominating you all practice,” added Horn (via Newton), “talking trash to you, you ain’t going to have a choice but either go hard and go back at him or go in a hole. A lot of guys out there ain’t gonna do that.’’

The next sign of progress could be a winning campaign for Canales’s team, something the Panthers haven’t enjoyed since 2017 when they last appeared in the playoffs.

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