Baker Mayfield backs Panthers' Dave Canales to fix Bryce Young

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Pardon My Take" podcast, Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield backed former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator and current Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales to help signal-caller Bryce Young turn things around following Young's rough rookie season.

"He’s very relatable," Mayfield said about Canales, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "Smart guy. He took our receivers coach from Tampa with him to be the OC, Brad Idzik. Really, really good football mind. I think those two guys together around Bryce is gonna be good for him."

Canales helped Geno Smith earn Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year Award honors for the 2022 season while serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

Canales then joined Tampa Bay in early 2023 before the club signed Mayfield to a one-year contract, and the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft ultimately became a Comeback Player of the Year Award finalist who guided the Buccaneers to the NFC South division title and a playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles while working with Canales.

It wasn't all smooth sailing for Mayfield last season, as some thought he could be benched after Tampa Bay fell to 4-7 ahead of December.

Mayfield signed a new three-year deal to stay with the Buccaneers this past March, and he suggested during the podcast that Canales has the right personality to fill Young with some needed confidence before the games begin to matter this September.

"Dave’s the definition of an optimist bully," Mayfield explained. "It could be the worst day ever, everything could be going wrong and he’s sitting there, he’s like, 'Guys, we got the next play!' He’s got a big ol’ smile on his face and you’re like, 'This guy’s full of s—,' but no. That’s literally who he is day in and day out and it’s honestly refreshing."

It's hardly a secret that the Panthers hired Canales to fix Young after the 22-year-old finished his rookie season ranked 30th in the league among qualified players with a 33.4 adjusted QBR, per Pro Football Reference stats.

Canales and his staff had no part in Carolina making Young the first overall pick of last year's draft, however, and they could look to move on from the young quarterback next offseason if he endures another disappointing campaign.