If all goes according to plan, it seems as though we’ll get our first 2024 preseason look at Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young on Saturday. But what should we be looking for in his potential summer debut?
Well, let’s just follow the lead of the man whose opinion matters most—head coach Dave Canales.
As we inch closer to getting that sneak peek, let’s look back at what Canales told reporters what he would want to see out of Young in this weekend’s exhibition against the Buffalo Bills.
“Operation, right?” he said this past Tuesday. “I wanna see things run smoothly. I’d wanna see just the communication, the in-between drives conversations, all that stuff that is so valuable.
“And he’s kinda been just around all those things as we’ve been doing it the last few weeks. Hopefully, to pick up some of those things.”
Unfortunately for Young, his rookie campaign was all but smooth. Between an unsteady coaching staff, an underwhelming set of receivers and an unreliable offensive front, 2023’s No. 1 overall pick had himself a rough ride last season.
Canales, a noted quarterback whisperer of sorts, was brought in to make Young’s transition into Year No. 2 a smooth one. He helped do so as the quarterbacks coach for Geno Smith in Seattle and the offensive coordinator for Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, both of whom had career years under Canales’ watch.
So hopefully for his latest project, Canales sees exactly what he wants to see from Young in his first (last) dress rehearsal.
