Dave Canales Announces Plans for Panthers Starters in Preseason Finale

The Panthers conclude the preseason on Saturday against the Bills and new head coach Dave Canales revealed his intentions to let the starters get some reps in during the first half.

QB Bryce Young has yet to play in the preseason, so Saturday will represent his first game action with his new coach. Considering the resources that Carolina poured into the offense during the offseason, fans should be excited to see the 2023 No. 1 overall pick go to work.

While the Panthers have only 15 points across two losses thus far, Young and the starters' planned participation should give the coaching staff a better look at how effective the offense can be early in the regular season.

Dave Canales Plans to Play Panthers' Starters in Preseason Finale

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Canales shared his intentions after being asked if the starters would square off with the Bills.

"That's my hope," replied the first-year head coach. "My hope is to get the starters out there early in the game, give them some exposure. And the importance of it to me, is how valuable the night-before prep is. Waking up in the morning, we have a one o’clock kick. We got a lot of those this year. So just the body readiness. The plan behind this camp was to practice early so that we can have that readiness going into the season where most of our kicks are one o’clock."

After last year's disastrous 2-15 result, the Panthers need all of the reps they can get. Having a true walkthrough before a game can help calm some of the nerves before the regular season opener on September 8 against the Saints.

This is a massive season for Young, who still needs to prove he was worth the trade Carolina made to acquire him. He now has the proper support around him to make this a proper evaluation, and it'll be great to see him in action on Saturday.

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