The Carolina Panthers made a significant decision last offseason by hiring Dave Canales as their new head coach, following a disappointing tenure from Frank Reich. Despite Canales' limited experience as an offensive coordinator, having previously spent over a decade as a quarterbacks coach, the Panthers' gamble appears to be paying off a year later.

Canales' hiring coincided with a wave of early-season coaching firings in the NFL, marking a shift in how teams approach head coach tenures. Carolina's swift decision to let go of Reich after 11 games preempted a trend of impatience towards head coaches. Among the first-time coaches hired last season, Canales remains one of the few who has not found himself in a precarious position, suggesting the Panthers may have made a wise choice in appointing him.