While some coaches will have their starting quarterback take the field in the preseason opener, Dave Canales will not be one of them.
The Panthers’ HC told reporters in his Tuesday press conference that Bryce Young will not play in Thursday’s contest against the Patriots.
“We’ll take that week-to-week and get a sense for, do we need to get him out there in this system and get a couple of series and do that? That’s something that I’ve done in the past. We’ve done both. So, for this game, he will not play,” Canales said.
Canales was a part of a staff that had starters play last year with the Buccaneers, but Canales noted that Tampa Bay was having a quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.
“This is different. We know who our guys is and he’s doing a fantastic job,” Canales said of Young. “The growth and all that matters. I’ve seen the plus side of going out there and just being able to have the cadences, the mixes, the plays coming in, the play clock, the situations and all that — those are really important as well. But I also know, we’re depending on those guys, too. So, the flip side of that, too, which we’ve seen some different models around the league is let’s make sure that we’re throwing those situations at them, getting our move-the-ball periods so we can function and see where we’re at.”
There is an inherent risk of injury in preseason play, which is a significant part of why Young won’t be on the field this week. But Canales also pointed to the upcoming joint practice with the Jets as an opportunity for Young to get quality reps.
“You can’t play scared, but you’ve got to be smart, and so yeah, it’s a factor for sure,” Canales said. “We’re thinking about that. With the guys we’re counting on, we’re definitely taking that into consideration, for sure. In our live move-the-ball periods, we’re going ones-vs.-ones all camp. Those are so valuable, especially at the end of practice when we’re tired, we get into the move-the-ball settings. We’ll have the Jets in here — that’s going to be a fantastic day. I can’t wait. That’s great work for those guys, so we’ve got to take advantage of those windows.”
Young threw for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2023.