Dave Canales and Brad Idzik fully step into their new roles for the Panthers 

“It’s obviously different people, but it’s the same process,” explained Young back after that first practice. “They work hand in hand. They’ve always had a close relationship. Brad’s always been in there with us in QB meetings, and he’s always, obviously, been on and understood everything, so it’s really similar. It’s a seamless process.”

Idzik has been the OC since arriving with Canales in 2024. He spent a lot of time with the receivers his first year, given his background with the position (he played it in college and was a receivers coach at Seattle and Tampa Bay).

Over the last couple of years, Idzik shifted a ton of his attention to quarterbacks, and then began taking over the offensive presentations as a whole in team meetings.

“He was doing a lot behind the scenes last year that the outside world probably didn’t see, but us, as a building, we obviously felt,” shared Young. “So, they’re one and the same; they work together. There’s obviously going to be a lot of communication there, so we’re excited for the next steps.”