Dave Canales Announces Huge Panthers Coaching Decision to Begin Offseason

The 2024 season is officially over for the Carolina Panthers. In the first season under Dave Canales, the Panthers finished with a 5-12 record, an improvement from going 2-15 in 2023.

In the last week of the season, the Panthers went out with a bang, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 44-38 in overtime. Following the win, they decided to keep Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator for the 2025 season.

Panthers News: Ejiro Evero Will Be DC for Carolina in 2025

When speaking to team reporters on Monday, Canales acknowledged that Evero will be back on the sideline for the team next season.

That is a bit surprising since there were rumors that the Panthers were looking to make changes along the defensive side after a poor season.

"David Tepper notably retained Frank Reich’s entire defensive staff for Canales — led by Ejiro Evero, who was blocked by Tepper from interviewing for other coordinator positions... But it’s hard to envision Tepper running it back with the same defensive staff, which didn’t have ties to Canales in the first place."

- Joseph Person, The Athletic

Evero has been with the Panthers since 2023. He came to Carolina under Frank Reich and will have his third season to lead that group. While that is good for continuity, the Panthers' defense was a train wreck this season.

They finished the season ranked 32nd in total defense (404.5) and run defense (179.8) while being 23rd in pass defense (224.7). They were also dead last in scoring defense (31.4). This unit was a big-time problem for this team, but regardless of these numbers, he'll have another chance to bounce back.

Whether that is a good decision remains to be seen but from the outside looking in, it looks like the wrong choice.

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