Russell Wilson has permission from the Broncos to talk to other teams, but it doesn’t sound like there’s any need for him to catch up with Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
Canales was the quarterbacks coach in Seattle for Wilson’s final four years with the team and he was on the Seahawks staff for Wilson’s entire run with the NFC West team, so some might have wondered if that familiarity would lead to the Panthers taking a shot at adding Wilson to Bryce Young at quarterback. Canales’ biggest focus is on getting Young to take a step forward, however, and Wilson is likely looking for a starting job, so it’s no surprise that Canales nipped any thought of a reunion in the bud.
“This is not the situation for Russ,” Canales said on Up & Adams. “What I will say about him is taking that chance and that opportunity to go to Denver, I really admire him for that. I really admire the courage it took to say ‘I’m gonna branch out from what I’m comfortable with.’ Certainly guys like me who was with him for all 10 years and the level of comfort that comes — I know exactly what he wants, he needs, what he’s gonna ask for, I can anticipate those things. He really gambled on himself to go and try to do something a different way to see what that can become. What it’s become, hey, the film’s out there but I really credit him for that.”
With Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, and Baker Mayfield also in line to make their plans for the 2024 season, there should be a lot of quarterback news coming in the next week. It doesn’t sound like any will be coming from Carolina, though.