CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) \u2014 Bryce Young was a little surprised when head coach Dave Canales called to inform him that offensive coordinator Brad Idzik would be taking over play-calling duties after the Carolina Panthers took a big step in 2025 and won the NFC South.<\/p>\n
He knew how much Canales loved calling plays.<\/p>\n
But after speaking with Canales, the Panthers quarterback is embracing the change, saying that he\u2019s thrilled about what Idzik \u2014 whom he described as having a \u201cgreat offensive mind\u201d \u2014 brings to the table.<\/p>\n
Idzik plans to experiment with a variety of different plays during the team\u2019s upcoming OTAs in an effort to best utilize each player\u2019s skill set.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate his willingness to put us in the best situation,\u201d Young said. \u201cIt\u2019s not this blanket \u2018we\u2019re gonna do X, Y, Z\u2019 or \u2018we\u2019re gonna do this X amount of times every game\u2019 or \u2018we\u2019re gonna run this concept X amount of times.\u2019 We want to try a bunch of different things during OTAs. He wants to challenge us with some new things.<\/p>\n
Young added, \u201cSo, we (as players) want to show him what we\u2019re good at, and then as we find that out, it\u2019s him being able to find different ways for us to get to that in the game. So I\u2019m excited for that process.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fourth-year quarterback said players need to do their part by developing a \u201cmastery of the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means a deep dive into the playbook, thoroughly understanding all of its unique variations and concepts.<\/p>\n
The hope is that will result in a more seemless approach, helping Young get in and out of the huddle faster and avoid delay of game penalties and unnecessary timeouts \u2014 an frustrating issue that has plagued the Panthers offense at times over the past two seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want coaches to put more on our shoulders on the field because they trust us,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n
Young made huge strides in Year 3.<\/p>\n