Panthers coach Dave Canales has to earn higher ranking compared to NFL peers

Carolina’s head coach enters his second season on the job. The Panthers look to build on an encouraging finish in 2024 in which the club certainly made strides.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In his first season in Charlotte, he took a team that finished with the worst record (2-15) in the NFL in 2023, and more than doubled their victory total. Dave Canales’s tenure with the Carolina Panthers began with seven losses in eight games in 2024, and ended with an encouraging four wins in their final nine outings.

Brandon Austin of Pro Football Sports Network has ranked the league’s current head coaches, with the exception of the seven new hires in 2025. Hence a list from 1-25, with Kansas City’s Andy Reid at the top. Near the bottom is Canales, which is certainly understandable considering he’s been an NFL sideline leader for only one season. However, it’s worth noting that Austin’s analysis is quite positive.

“Canales entered the NFL head coaching ranks with just one year of experience as a coordinator. He also inherited arguably the league’s most challenging situation with the Carolina Panthers. Carolina posted a 5-12 record in Canales’ debut. After an ugly start to the year—which included blowouts of 37 and 23 points in the first two games—Canales made a bold move to bench Bryce Young.”

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with quarterback Bryce Young (9) during a time out during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

“Veteran Andy Dalton wasn’t the answer at quarterback,” added Austin, “but the decision seemed to light a bit of a fire under Young. He eventually reclaimed the starting job and showed noticeable progress by the end of the season. The hope is that he can carry that momentum into 2025.”

“While Carolina’s wins weren’t overly impressive,” stated Austin, “they had some encouraging losses, putting up competitive efforts against the Buccaneers, Chiefs, and Eagles. The Panthers played better as the year progressed, which is a testament to Canales’ coaching ability. After having success with (Baker) Mayfield (in Tampa in 2023), the biggest question is if he can duplicate that with Young.”

If the Panthers can pick up where they left off late in 2024, and the team can avoid a season with 10 or more losses for the first time since 2018 (7-9), that could indeed elevate Canales in the next set of rankings.

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