Dave Canales' Controversial Minicamp Choice Could Backfire for the Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were supposed to have one final minicamp session on June 11 to wrap things up. They have an early start with training camp, July 22, because they're part of the Hall of Fame game.

Still, head coach Dave Canales decided to end minicamp a day early, giving his players one more rest day before things really ramp up next month. He said it was because the team really ramped up and challenged themselves when he asked them to.

Dave Canales said he challenged players on Tuesday to ramp up the energy. Felt like they answered the call. So an early close to minicamp before "the hardest (training) camp they've ever had."

Hall of Fame game. Two joint practices. Three other preseason games.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) June 11, 2026

Being rewarded for doing well in practice is good. Extra rest, especially in this Carolina heat, is good, too. But cutting minicamp short by a day could backfire on the Panthers when the regular season rolls around.

The Panthers may regret Dave Canales' minicamp decision

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws in front of head coach Dave Canales | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Yesterday, Dave Canales announced to reporters that there would be no final minicamp session as expected. The head coach asked his players to do better, and they did, so he rewarded them with a day off.

Rest is good, but reps at this point in the year are important, too. There is still training camp next month and the preseason after that, but we've seen enough in the Dave Canales era to know that they need every bit of practice in the offseason they can get.

Canales typically doesn't play starters very much in the preseason. He famously pulled them a series early for poor performance in a preseason game, which is a bit silly given how important it is to work out those kinks in those games.

In his two seasons as a head coach, the Panthers have been dreadful out of the gate, and it is very likely because they don't do as much practicing in the preseason. They don't get enough reps or enough time to work things out, which is why cutting a minicamp session could be dangerous.

In 2024, the Panthers opened with two consecutive shellackings. They lost to the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers by a combined score of 73-13. It resulted in Bryce Young being benched. He famously only played in one preseason game, and that really backfired.

Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In 2025, Canales didn't learn. He rested starters a ton, including that series he pulled them from. Again, they started slow. They didn't show up until the second half of the second game, but it was too late. They started 0-2 again.

The Panthers have no margin for error this year. Perhaps the extra preseason game will help offset the low number of reps and a cancelled practice, but that's dependant on how serious Canales takes the preseason this time.

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