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What Panthers coach Dave Canales said about Bryce Young after minicamp

The first overall pick in the 2023 draft made strides this past season after a rough start to his career. The progress continues for quarterback Bryce Young.

Russell Baxter

Jun 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) watches quarterback Bryce Young (9) throw during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Jun 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) watches quarterback Bryce Young (9) throw during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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It’s a franchise that is set to begin its fourth decade in the National Football League. The Carolina Panthers first took the field in 1995, and in 30 seasons have made a pair of Super Bowl appearances. They’ve yet to bring home a Lombardi Trophy, and are currently in the midst of a seven-year stretch where the team has not produced a winning season.

After dropping seven of their first eight games in 2024, there were signs of life in Charlotte. A lot of that had to do with the improved play of quarterback Bryce Young. He suffered through a rough rookie year in 2023, and two games into ’24 he was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton by the franchise’s newest sideline leader. Young took the demotion in stride, and it wound up serving him and the team well. He wound starting the final 10 games, throwing 15 touchdowns passes and running for five scores while turning over the ball just eight times.

Hence, it’s safe to say that head coach Dave Canales has been impressed with the direction that his third-year quarterback fix is headed in these days. The Panthers wrapped up a spirited three-day minicamp on Wednesday, and Canales had this to say about the team’s rejuvenated field general.

Things are certainly looking up for Young and a team that hasn’t tasted the playoffs since 2017. Despite the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the NFC South each of the past four seasons, the division has been far from daunting for the most part in recent years. Could last season’s modest 4-5 finish, with Young at the controls, wind up being a turning point for a team that has dropped at least 10 games in each of the past six seasons?

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.