June 22, 2026, 2:45 p.m. ET
Dave Canales is still trying to getting this whole head-coaching thing down as he enters his third year at the helm for the Carolina Panthers. And to his credit, he’s grown—having led his team from five wins in 2024 to eight and a division title in 2025.
He’s also not been afraid to try.
According to a recent analysis by Pro Football Focus, the Panthers have been the third-most aggressive offense on fourth downs in Canales’s two seasons. PFF contributor Bradley Locker writes:
Meanwhile, third-year Panthers coach Dave Canales has also bought into the franchise’s analytical style, compiling the third-most such attempts in his two years at the helm — including the most in 2025 (46).
In their first campaign under Canales, the Panthers went for it on fourth down 30 times—the seventh-most attempts in the NFL. They only converted 46.7 percent of them, though—ranking 26th in the league.
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Last year, Carolina was even more aggressive in these situations, going for it a total of 40 times. The Panthers also made a huge improvement in their conversion rate (67.5 percent)—finishing behind only Kansas City, New England and Cincinnati.
Quarterback Bryce Young has to get at least part of the credit for the progress , as his clutch gene has shined through on fourth down quite a bit. But Young can’t shine if the Panthers roll the dice, and Canales has our respect for being aggressive in an area where far too many coaches are shy.
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