How Panthers' Dave Canales repaired relationship with Bryce Young after 2024 benching

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young became the subject of trade rumors after a report surfaced in September 2024 that he was "upset" head coach Dave Canales had benched him after the second game of the season. 

No such trade occurred, and the Young-Canales partnership will now guide Carolina into its Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. 

For a piece published Friday, ESPN's David Newton detailed how Canales and Young got back on the same page following all that occurred last fall. 

The Dave Canales-Bryce Young bond seems stronger than ever

"Canales has worked to repair any possible damage to his relationship with the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama," Newton wrote. "A big step occurred in June when he took his daughters to Young's foundation event in Charlotte and stayed the entire time, something Young and his family noticed and appreciated. He has said the right things about Young's strong finish to last season and how that has carried over to training camp."

Canales wasn't with the Panthers when the club made Young the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. It was thought at the time that Canales benched Young after the signal-caller produced back-to-back duds to avoid losing a locker room that hadn't yet notched a win.

Canales and Young ultimately needed each other after fill-in starter Andy Dalton suffered a sprained thumb in a car accident. Young returned to the Carolina starting lineup in Week 8, and he largely looked like an improved quarterback over his final 10 starts of the season. 

Over those contests, Young completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 223 yards and five scores.

Throughout the offseason, Canales has noted how Young "earned a lot of respect from his teammates" with the way he handled the demotion. A report from August mentioned that Young’s working relationship with Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik went "to another level" from the start of spring workouts through training camp. 

How Bryce Young impressed Dave Canales amid benching 

"Canales liked that his quarterback continued to lead even when he wasn't starting," Newton added. "Young was always one of the first to congratulate teammates after big plays and to console them after losses. ...So when Young got the job, he already had the respect of teammates — and Canales, who called the 'mutual respect' the two share key to moving forward."

That "mutual respect" may only matter so much if Young struggles as a third-year pro. As of Friday morning, ESPN Bet had the Panthers as 3.5-point underdogs for their Week 1 game at the Jaguars.