Carolina Panthers HC Dave Canales learned nothing from last year's disastrous start

The coach refused to let his starters get into a rhythm in the preseason.

Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with an official during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Maybe it's surprising that, for the second straight year in the Dave Canales era, the Carolina Panthers look abysmal to open the season. It probably shouldn't be. Yet again, they look out of sorts, and Bryce Young is not having a good day. The starters played extremely sparingly in the preseason in 2024, and it cost them.

Unfortunately, Canales didn't learn from that. Young and the starters played four series the entire preseason, and they come out of the gate really out of synch. It is disappointing, but it's not entirely surprising.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks downfield during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There have been tons of ill-fated penalties. The play clock runs down to one second every single play. The pass-catchers look totally out of synch with Young except for Tetairoa McMillan. He looks good, but that's about it.

The defense is awful, but that was likely to be the case anyway. On offense, this shouldn't be happening. Yet, everything is off. The snaps are high, the communication is bad, and the on-field product is not good, either.

Maybe Young is just not having a good day. Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars are better than we thought. Maybe the Panthers are worse than we thought. But at the very least, it looks like a huge mistake not to let the starting units play more in the preseason. Oh well, there's always next year.

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