Dave Canales Gives Bryce Young Serious Vote of Confidence As Extension Talks Loom

The Carolina Panthers aren't quite ready to extend Bryce Young yet. He's improved significantly since a disastrous rookie season, with a lot of development coming from third-year coach Dave Canales.

Still, Young has some drawbacks he's yet to work out, and the Panthers haven't seen quite enough to do more than pick up his fifth-year option. An extension still feels likely, but it probably won't happen this offseason.

Canales recently spoke about Young and his future with the franchise, and some of what he said bodes really well for those who'd like to see Young stick around for the long haul.

Dave Canales seems to imply Bryce Young's extension is almost inevitable

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

Earlier this month, Brandt Tilis spoke about how the Panthers view their roster construction, saying he and GM Dan Morgan operate as if it's 2028 and 2029 already. With that in mind, they seem to have planned for a Bryce Young extension, making it all the more likely.

Now, Dave Canales has said something similar. He spoke with Joe Person of The Athletic, and in his interview, he said the coaches and executives are always wondering how best to build out this roster for the future with Young.

"He’s shown that, whether it’s my ability to be aggressive, going for it on fourth down because of him or having different moments come alive late in games for him to be able to take us down on drives, find wins, whatever that looked like," Canales said of Young's continued development.

Then he added the most important part. "There’s not a question of if, but how — how are we gonna build this forward knowing that Bryce is our quarterback?" he said.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Now, Young is the quarterback for 2026, and with the option, he will likely be the quarterback for 2027. But with all the talk about building a roster for the future, it certainly sounds like the Panthers are looking even further beyond that.

Young's shown more than enough to keep getting opportunities, and with his trajectory the last three years, it is highly likely he will continue to get better and will easily earn the extension.

The only questions seem to be when it will come (next spring is all but guaranteed), and how much it will cost. That depends on how Young fares in year four with a revamped roster.

But as Canales said, it's a "when," not an "if."