Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales took note Thursday night of a jab at his team by comedian Keegan-Michael Key at the NFL Honors.
Key made a joke about Taylor Swift and the Panthers being far from the Super Bowl.
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Dave Canales answers a question at a news conference introducing him as the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers NFL football team in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
“My understanding is that Taylor Swift is in Tokyo right now. The only people further away from the Super Bowl are the Carolina Panthers,” Key said at the event, via The Charlotte Observer.
Canales responded in X with chin-scratching and book-marking emojis. He definitely seemed to be paying attention to the negative reception Carolina has gotten as the team has struggled in recent years.
The Panthers finished 2-15 in 2023 with rookie quarterback Bryce Young leading the team. Carolina finished 31st in points scored and 32nd in yards gained.
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Keegan-Michael Key performs during the NFL Honors Awards before the Super Bowl 58 football game on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The team hasn't had a winning record since the 2017 season, when Ron Rivera was the head coach, and the franchise still had Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey on the offensive side of the ball.
Those days are gone, but Canales is eager to restore some hope to Charlotte.
“My schedule is today,” Canales said of the victory during his introductory press conference. “It's 1st and 10. I have a new set of downs and my entire call sheet is at my disposal, and I have a lot of great people to work with today.”
Dave Canales answers a question at a news conference introducing him as the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers NFL football team in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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Canales served as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 before taking the Panthers job.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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