Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young was a colossal mistake. He absolutely destroyed Young’s confidence and set him back months in his development. Olsen’s comments about Young’s “bounceback” are nothing but a desperate attempt at damage control, trying to cover up Canales’ massive blunder.
Think about it: Young, the No. 1 overall pick, the future of the franchise, was thrown to the wolves in his first few NFL starts. He was facing relentless pressure behind a shaky offensive line, and his receivers weren’t exactly doing him any favors. Of course he struggled! Any rookie quarterback would have in that situation.
But instead of showing patience and support, Canales yanked him. He basically hung a giant “FAILURE” sign around Young’s neck and sent him to the bench. That kind of move can shatter a young quarterback’s confidence, especially one who’s used to being the star.
And don’t tell me this was some sort of genius coaching strategy. Canales panicked, plain and simple. He saw the losses piling up, and he threw his rookie quarterback under the bus to save his own skin. Now, Young will always have that doubt in the back of his mind, that fear of failure that could haunt him for the rest of his career.
The Panthers will never recover from this coaching malpractice. They’ve potentially ruined their franchise quarterback, and they’ve set themselves back years in their rebuilding process. Canales is clearly in over his head, and he’s not the right man to lead this team.
He’s lost the trust of his players, he’s lost the respect of the fans, and he’s lost any credibility he might have had. The Panthers need to cut their losses and fire him before he does any more damage. This team needs a coach who believes in his players, who supports them through thick and thin, and who can inspire them to greatness. Canales is not that guy.
