Can the Carolina Panthers have their cake and eat it too? Well, they may try.
Even before the organization’s head-coaching position opened up for the second time in as many years, Ejiro Evero didn’t seem long for their defensive coordinator spot. The impressive 42-year-old, who did a fine job with the Denver Broncos in 2022 and an even better one with the Panthers in 2023, has been a hot name in league circles for some time now.
But will Carolina and owner David Tepper, who is reportedly focused on hiring another offensive-minded coach to lead his team, be able to keep Evero right where he is? ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler thinks the Panthers may attempt to pair a first-time offensive head coach with Evero.
Fowler wrote the following on Wednesday:
After asking around, the sense is the Panthers are at least intrigued by this idea. Evero has done an impressive job with the Panthers’ defense, which ranks third in total defense and passing defense despite minimal offensive help and a rash of injuries. He will most likely be on the head-coaching interview circuit and could interview in-house with Carolina, but with him under contract with the Panthers, he’s an asset they’d like to keep should they focus on offense with their coaching search, as most expect.
Evero interviewed for Carolina’s head-coaching vacancy last season. But, in what may have been the only stroke of genius in assembling the 2023 coaching staff, Tepper and company were able to get the highly-regarded play-caller to take on their defensive coordinator post.
Time will tell what this year’s market has in store for both the Panthers and Evero. And until then, the latter has three more games to put the cherry on top of an already remarkable résumé.
