As the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, Dave Canales worked with quarterback Baker Mayfield, a former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft whose original team replaced him.
As the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Canales was on the other side of that scenario when he announced on Monday that Andy Dalton would replace Bryce Young as the team’s starting quarterback.
The former Alabama All-American joined Carolina as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and had started 18 of the Panthers’ 19 games since then (missing one game with an ankle injury).
On Wednesday, Canales said Carolina was not considering trading Young.
“This is a developmentally minded program,” Canales said, “so the development didn’t stop. Every rep he’s out there, we’re evaluating the whole thing, having conversations and just continuing to push all of our guys, including Bryce, to take that next step. Every day is a growth possibility and opportunity, so we’re fully committed to that.”
Mayfield also talked about Young during a Wednesday press conference, using his experience as a No. 1 pick to predict that Young’s career still had a long way to go.
“Obviously, mine didn’t happen in the same time frame as Bryce, but quarterback’s hard,” Mayfield said. “Especially for young guys, when you’re not surrounded with the pieces, you’re not given the opportunity to have success. A lot of the time, guys have the talent, they might have the brains, but they don’t have the right opportunity, the right fit. I’m sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I’ve been. That’s not to put other teams down, but it’s a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches.
“For Bryce, I can relate to this, finding that belief within yourself again, and he’ll get it. His story is far, far from finished.”
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Like Young a Heisman Trophy winner, Mayfield spent four seasons with Cleveland after joining the Browns as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Cleveland replaced Mayfield with Deshaun Watson and traded him to Carolina in 2022.
Mayfield didn’t make it through the season with the Panthers, although he made six starts before being released. With an injury epidemic at quarterback, the Los Angeles Rams claimed Mayfield off waivers, and his four late-season starts helped get him a free-agent opportunity with the Buccaneers in 2023.
Working with Canales, Mayfield rebounded to earn a Pro Bowl invitation and helped Tampa Bay reach the second round of the NFC playoffs.
“He’s an optimist bully,” Mayfield said of Canales. “Finding ways to make things work when it’s not the best looks or things aren’t going well and being positive about it, about the next opportunity.
“Whatever they’re doing, I’m sure it’s for a good reason whether it’s just to give Bryce time. I’m not in their building, not in their meetings, so can’t really comment too much on it.”
Wednesday was Young’s first practice as Dalton’s backup as the Panthers prepared to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.
“He took a lot of the scout reps today,” Canales said. “He was in the competition periods with a mixed group, so those are some of the things that he’s taken on as a two quarterback. He did a fabulous job today, and he played fast. He found some nice completions all over the field, and those are the things that whatever we ask everyone to do – take your job seriously and attack it. And that’s the expectation.”
Canales said what he hopes to see from Young in his new role is “just the consistency to continue to work like he’s been working, to come with the excitement and the focus of what we’re doing every day. And he responded great today. He had a fantastic day.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
