Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales Does Not Deserve to Be on the Hot Seat

The Carolina Panthers became a coach carousel of their own nature after firing Ron Rivera. Perry Fewell was the interim, and then Matt Rhule coached for a few seasons. Steve Wilks was the interim, then Frank Reich was hired and lasted 11 games.

Chris Tabor took over as interim, and then Dave Canales was hired. You'd be forgiven if, like Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, you thought Canales had work to do to ensure his job security. However, it's not likely that his seat is warm like Moton and others may believe.

Dave Canales' job with the Panthers is safe

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

13 wins in two seasons with a middling offense as a perceived quarterback whisperer is not ideal for a coach. However, Dave Canales has been operating with a hand tied behind his back due to a talent-poor roster, so don't listen to the talk that he's on the hot seat.

Moe Moton cited David Tepper's infamous impulsivity as a reason Canales might be canned soon. However, in recent years, that hasn't been the case. Canales was given a long leash, as was Bryce Young. Together, the two have made strides, and nothing suggests the Panthers' owner is about to relapse and start firing people again.

To be fair, Moton did essentially say Canales' seat is colder than the rest on his list. He established the heat meter at six, while Todd Bowles is at nine, Nick Sirianni is at seven, Shane Steichen's at eight, Dan Quinn is a seven, and Zac Taylor is at a scorching 10.

Still, Canales' seat probably isn't even that warm. The Panthers seem to be taking a patient approach for the first time in a long time, and they seem to be building something out under Canales. His recent pivot to give play-calling to Brad Idzik suggests his job is not in question here.

In fact, the opposite. The Panthers seem more than comfortable letting him take a broader control over the team. They are happy to let him get involved with the defense and special teams as well. Does that sound like someone who's coaching for his job?

Moton did make one good point. "If [Bryce] Young regresses, it may never happen in Carolina, and Canales will get some of the blame as an offensive-minded head coach," he wrote. This could loom large, although regression feels unlikely.

Nevertheless, if Young doesn't pan out and the Panthers have to start over in the 2028 NFL draft, it wouldn't be a shock if they wanted to land a new quarterback and a new coach to start fresh, a la Cam Newton and Ron Rivera both joining in 2011.

"[GM Dan] Morgan could look for a new coach-quarterback combination if Canales and Young take a step back this year. The 45-year-old lead skipper isn't in the hottest seat, but he must prove that the previous year wasn't a fluke in a bad division," Moton concluded.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

But even with that in mind, the team taking a step back would probably not be a death knell for Canales. Morgan and Tepper undoubtedly know the team squeaked into the playoffs with a little luck, and they know the Panehrs, on paper, face a much harder schedule this year (although how much harder is certainly up for debate).

So while there are some things to be concerned about with Canales, who is far from a perfect coach, there really isn't any reason to suggest his seat is anything but comfortable at the moment.

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