-
David Newton
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Long-snapper JJ Jansen not only is the longest-tenured member of the Carolina Panthers with 17 seasons under his belt, he’s also arguably the most insightful.
So when he saw second-year coach Dave Canales sitting in the back of the special teams room earlier this season, listening to their discussion, taking notes and having conversations with coordinator Tracy Smith, it made an impression because that’s not something he saw from Canales last season.
«I don’t know that there’s a lot of offensive playcallers right now that are head coaches that are doing that,» Jansen said on Sunday as players cleaned out their lockers following Saturday’s 34-31 wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. «You just know he’s taking care of the whole team, not just his side of the ball.»
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
• Ranks: Free agents | Draft prospects
• Early needs for every team | Draft order
• Tracking coaching hirings, firings
As the Panthers try to take the next step after making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, Jansen believes Canales’ growth as a coach will continue in 2026.
«I would imagine Year 3 will be even better because that’s what we as players have seen,» Jansen said. «That while they’re asking us to develop, he and the coaching staff are always developing.»
Canales joined the Panthers in 2024 and spent most of his first season developing quarterback Bryce Young and the offense because his offensive prowess was a big reason he was hired. Once Young settled in toward the end of 2024, Canales broadened his reach as head coach. He did it in part on the advice of senior coaching advisor Jim Caldwell, who spent most of his early career coaching quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning.
«He sees things from that 10,000-foot view,» Canales said of Caldwell. «Because of my mixed roles with my involvement in the offense … I can get hyper focused at times on helping the run game, helping the pass game.
«Just trying to connect [more] with the different phases, special teams and defense. Coach Caldwell has been amazing for just some reminders or anecdotes from years past. That was a little bit of a shot in the arm.»
Derrick Brown said.
Running back Chuba Hubbard said the culture Canales is building on and off the field is a big reason Carolina has become a player-led team.
«He’s definitely involved in everything that comes down with the team, and you need that as a head coach,» he said.
Young agreed.
«Growing with the team and involvement, that’s big with anybody in a leadership position,» he said.
General manager Dan Morgan, who spent seven seasons as a Panthers linebacker, said Canales has developed into the type of coach he would want to play for. He believes that will help in free agency as he continues to develop the roster.
«Guys are going to want to come here and they’re going to want to play for him,» Morgan said. «Just the way he carries himself, the enthusiasm that he has on a day-to-day basis, the way he leads guys … this is a fun environment.»
How players prepare for cold-weather games
• Can Texans’ Kirk repeat wild-card outburst?
• What if the Jets kept Aaron Rodgers?
• Cowboys’ free agency starts with Pickens
• Canales’ growth is key to Panthers’ next step
For the Panthers to take the next step, they will need to make good decisions in free agency.
Left tackle has suddenly become a big need after 2022 first-round pick Ickem Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee against the Rams. The recovery could make Ekwonu unavailable part of all of the 2026 season.
Carolina also needs an upgrade at outside linebacker and perhaps middle linebacker after ranking 22nd in sacks.
Overall, though, the defense is heading in the right direction. The Panthers went from allowing an NFL-record in points and ranking last in most defensive stats in 2024 to finishing 15th in scoring defense and 16th in total defense this season.
Brown said what Carolina accomplished this season set a «new standard» for expectations.
«No matter how I feel right now, I wish it was September already,» he said. «As the business is what it is, there’ll be a lot of revolving pieces and we’ll figure it out as we go.»
Jansen expects his coach to keep the Panthers hungry for more.
«At the end of the day,» he said, «it starts with Coach Canales, and the vision he sets for the team. He always paints the picture for us during the week. He’s a dreamer, so he likes to paint this like what it could be.»
«If you’re the head coach, you’re the game-day decision-maker. You have to have a heartbeat for the team. … Our head coach is really leaning into ‘I’m the head coach of the entire team.»’
