Panthers' Dave Canales might be a way better coach than anyone realizes

Dave Canales has overperformed twice in two seasons.

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales greets players after a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales certainly has his flaws. His situational play-calling leaves a lot to be desired. His offense can be stagnant. He can be too stubborn. Canales doesn't seem to trust Bryce Young as much as he should.

For a second-year coach who spent exactly one season even calling plays beforehand, this is not all that surprising. There have been some growing pains, and Panthers fans have some frustrations with him.

But what if he's actually a whole lot better than anyone realizes?

Dave Canales pulls wins out of a bad team routinely

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales on the field in the second quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When Dave Canales took over the Carolina Panthers, they were the worst team in the league. They had won two games, had virtually no talent on offense, and didn't even have their first-round pick to build back with.

Yet, he managed to win five games that year. That alone isn't all that inspiring, but when you look closer, you realize how impressive that actually is. The Panthers had a -193 point differential that season.

That was dead last in the NFL, and yet, they had only the eighth-worst record in the league, which is why they picked eighth. In fact, the next-worst team was the Cleveland Browns at -177, so the Panthers were well clear.

Bryce Young deserves some credit for that, but it was Canales' decision to bench him that seemed to unlock him later, and the Panthers went 4-6 in his final 10 starts as a result.

Maybe that was a one-off thing. It wasn't. The Panthers won eight games in year two of the Canales era. Again, that's not all that inspiring, but they did manage to sneak a playoff berth and nearly pull off a historic upset.

They did all that with a -69 point differential, fourth-worst among all playoff teams in NFL history. That point differential was akin to the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and others. The New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Atlanta Falcons all had better differentials.

Once again, Canales extracted wins from a team and a roster that kind of had no business getting them. Perhaps, despite all the flaws, he is a much better coach than anyone gives him credit for.

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