Carolina Panthers: Steve Wilks return not in the cards this season
Former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator will not return to his position.
For only a single season, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was responsible for calling plays before earning the opportunity to be a head coach. The Charlotte native left Carolina for an opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals, but a depleted roster and resulting dismal season, led to his demise.
Fired after only one season at the helm, Wilks was a name in high demand for many NFL teams with a coordinator opening, Panthers included. Despite the poor performance of the Cardinals, Wilks has a proven track record and would not be without a job for long.
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The Cleveland Browns, led by former first-round selection Myles Garrett, eventually became the winners as Wilks delves into his new position. Taking over a young group with a lot of potential, the Browns defense has a lot of potential.
For Carolina, aging veterans occupied a number of key positions last season but general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera have already laid the ground work for change. In an attempt to get younger on the defensive side of the football, Carolina indicated they would not re-sign veteran captain, linebacker Thomas Davis.
Wilks and Rivera have a long history of working together, making the idea of a return even more likely but nothing ever came to fruition. Instead, the Panthers remain confident in former defensive line coach Eric Washington with Rivera calling the plays.
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A lot is on the line in 2019 for Rivera and the Panthers, regardless of who calls the plays but how Carolina handles their personnel issues this offseason should be current priority number one.