For much of the 2025 season, the Carolina Panthers struggled to maintain a consistent offensive balance game to game.
Quarterback Bryce Young couldn't put highly productive games together in consecutive weeks, excluding the final two games, including the playoffs. Head coach Dave Canales, the offensive play-caller of the last two seasons, couldn't find a rhythm, admitting at times that he played a part in the offense's struggles.
Change was on the table, but the expectation heading into the offseason was that Canales would remain the play-caller, providing continuity across the board. However, the Panthers' third-year head coach made a startling change out of left field at the NFL Scouting Combine.