Not everyone has loved Dave Canales' decision not to play Bryce Young through the first two games of the NFL preseason.
Gerald McCoy, a former defensive tackle with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lambasted Canales for his decision to keep Young out of the preseason after a 2-15 season for the now second-year quarterback.
“Y’all were terrible last year. Terrible,” McCoy said on the new podcast McCoy & Van Noy . “Bryce Young, you didn’t play well, son. You didn’t play well... He ain’t C.J. Stroud. So why ain’t he played yet? The only way to get better at football is to play football. It is extremely difficult to get better at football when you don’t play.”
McCoy said what several are thinking. Young's inconsistent rookie year makes his second season more important than ever. Canales has withheld the Panthers' starter despite the mounting pressure for the former Alabama starter to produce.
On Tuesday, Canales hinted that he still trusts his process but remains open to possibly playing the starters against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
“I’m open to playing our guys this week,” Canales said. "I collect information and make that decision as we go forward.”
Time is running out for Young to get quality reps in the preseason. Canales is holding out to make a call regarding whether the starters and his quarterback will play. If it were up to popular opinion, Young would be playing far more.
