NFL insider says quiet part out loud about Dave Canales, Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers' most recent loss may have come down to coaching. Second-year HC Dave Canales has certainly coached the Panthers to wins this year, but he's probably lost some as well.

Much of this comes from an inability or refusal to adjust the game plan. His game plans are usually smart, but they don't change much when they're not working out well. That's kind of what happened on Sunday.

The offense was wholly unable to run the ball against the Saints, but Canales didn't adopt a pass-happy strategy even with Bryce Young playing well. That's something one analyst took issue with.

Insider reveals major issue with Dave Canales and Bryce Young

Dave Canales, for no good reason, sometimes decides not to trust Bryce Young. While Young can audible to pass plays if he wants to, it's never a good idea for a QB to go rogue from his coach's game plan.

That game plan is where the fault lies, according to fantasy insider and Panthers fan Josh Norris. When things aren't working, Canales has to be able to adjust and let Young do what he does best.

He has to trust the passing game more

it was the only positive part of the entire game - and Bryce Young was the leading rusher with 49 yards off scrambles

has to put it in the QB's hands in games where the OL can't generate push https://t.co/dd3VzFrCDJ
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) December 15, 2025

"[Canales] has to trust the passing game more," Norris wrote on X. "It was the only positive part of the entire game - and Bryce Young was the leading rusher with 49 yards off scrambles. [He] has to put it in the QB's hands in games where the OL can't generate push."

The offensive line was not able to create push, as evidenced by their inability to get even a few inches on a fourth-down handoff, but Canales refused to let the offense throw it a lot.

That would've worked. Young was on vs. the Saints. He wasn't having his usual letdown game. He was accurate, smart, decisive, and clutch. Had Canales taken the training wheels off and let him grip it and rip it, the Panthers might've come away with a win and set themselves up for the playoffs.

Instead, they now face an uphill battle, one that will be made harder if Canales stays stuck in his ways when they're not working out.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

Panthers drop in NFL power rankings after befuddling loss to Saints

Carolina Panthers studs & duds from disgusting loss to the Saints

Major takeaways from Panthers’ embarrassing loss in Week 15

Bryce Young said more in 2 minutes than the Panthers did in 60