Even after deploying one of the worst defenses in NFL history, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will be back with the Carolina Panthers in 2025.
Head coach Dave Canales reaffirmed his faith in Evero and his defense on Monday, telling reporters that he’ll remain on staff for next season.
“Yeah, I’ve played against this defense,” Canales stated. “I’ve played against it in Seattle with the Rams for a bunch of years. I played against it twice last year. I know what this defense will look like. And I’m committed to that, Ejiro’s committed to that.
“So, it’s about developing the players we brought in. It’s about evaluating our schemes—so we have to be able to look at our schemes and be really critical of all those things as well. And it’s about seeing who’s out there to challenge our roster, who can help us to get this defense to the place that we know we can.”
Evero has a positive reputation within the league and in the Panthers’ locker room. He is seen as the “head coach of the defense,” and is one of the more creative defensive minds in football.
But this year presented many challenges—starting with the offseason subtractions of outside linebackers Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu. Carolina also lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown for the campaign after Week 1 and team captain and linebacker Shaq Thompson after Week 4.
Without their key contributors from 2023 and their stockpile of injuries throughout 2024, the Panthers ultimately rolled out nearly 50 different players on defense this season. And that number included quite a few players who, at best, are practice-squad talents.
The end result? Carolina relinquished 534 points—a new single-season NFL record—while being the only team to allow at least 400 total yards per game.
Normally, those results would yield some major reconstruction. Nonetheless, Canales is committed to working with Evero—and even hinted at the possibility of adjusting the scheme.
“We have a lot of things to evaluate, you know, over the next couple of days and into the offseason to reflect on our schemes, to reflect on personnel, to reflect on the guys we have here going forward,” Canales said. “There’s a lot of important conversations to be had on all of those factors and that will be great to have.”
Evero’s return does signal the hope for continuity—something this franchise has severely lacked since the days of Ron Rivera. Plus, Canales’ alignment with Evero could go a long way for this ascending rebuild.
The retainment also does not come without some risks. If Evero’s group fails once again, even after what’ll likely be an offseason headlined by a number of defensive upgrades, the blame will fall on Canales.
As for the blame on Evero this season, it’s warranted. His defense was historically bad, and must bear responsibility for it.
This journey, however, is multi-pronged—and the front office has to equip Evero with the personnel necessary to succeed.
It’s difficult to make adjustments with an alarming lack of talent. It’s difficult to get to opposing quarterbacks when your best pass rusher is a 31-year-old Jadeveon Clowney. And it’s difficult to stop the run with a lineup that reads like it’s off a UFL program.
Sometimes, skill is the issue.
There is a lot of work to be done in rebuilding the Panthers defense, and it’s not going to be a one-year fix either. Raising the floor of the unit is a must.
Evero’s return will remain under scrutiny until the defense begins to perform at a much better level in 2025.