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Panthers Coach Likely Entering Final Game with Carolina on Sunday

By Cem Yolbulan

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle DeShawn Williams (75) and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) react in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle DeShawn Williams (75) and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) react in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Panthers finish the 2024 NFL season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite improvement from a season ago, the Panthers are still a work in progress, especially on the defensive end.

Even though there is one more game left in the season, the Panthers are already looking ahead to the offseason. In addition to what roster upgrades the front office will make, there will be a ton of focus on the coaching staff. The Athletic's Joseph Person identified the four biggest questions facing Carolina in the offseason.

One of those is the expected changes in the defensive staff for head coach Dave Canales. Person noted that the Panthers retained Frank Reich's defensive staff even after Canales was hired, including DC Ejiro Evero. Considering how poorly the defensive unit performed this season, Evero is reportedly on the chopping block heading into Week 18.

"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 the defensive coordinator in Carolina since the start of the 2023 season. After finishing as the 29th-best defense in his first year, the Panthers are dead last both in terms of points and yards this season. Per Pro Football Focus, the Panthers are miles behind the second-worst defense, the Saints, mainly due to having the worst run defense and pass rush grades in the entire NFL.

It's hard to argue that Evero has done a good job in his role. The team has been playing with effort and energy, but that can only take you too far in the league. The Panthers faced injuries to key defenders like Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson, but every team suffers significant absences throughout the season. Not being able to survive these injuries reflects poorly on Evero and jeopardizes his job security with the organization going forward.

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