Duce Staley’s bonafide fire can ignite the Carolina Panthers in 2023

Duce Staley has promised to bring the fire that ignites the Carolina Panthers as the team gets ready for the upcoming 2023 season.

It’s been a memorable few weeks in terms of coaching staff hires for the Carolina Panthers. Frank Reich and David Tepper immediately got to work in pursuit of finding the very best candidates across the board, which has further raised expectation levels heading into the 2023 off-season period.

Of course, finding the correct players to keep or sign is arguably more important. They’re the ones putting it all on the line every Sunday, after all.

However, the Panthers now have a legitimate staff in place capable of getting everyone to sing from the same hymn sheet. And in Duce Staley, the team boasts one of the best motivators in the business.

Staley is a fast riser up the coaching ranks who could be a head coach down the line. His decision to leave the Detroit Lions was a difficult one – but being closer to family tipped the scales and the Panthers are going to benefit greatly as a result.

Duce Staley expects energy from Carolina Panthers coaching staff

The assistant head coach/running backs coach is eager to bring the fire that propels the Panthers to bigger and better things next season. Speaking to Augusta Stone from Panthers.com, Staley is also expecting something similar from the entire staff team from the moment they get onto the practice field.

"“You’re going to see a lot of energy, a lot of juice from this coaching staff. When you walk through the door as a former player, that’s what they know you as. It’s our job, before we leave through that door, to get them to know us as coaches. So that’s the mission, and we’re going to get it done.”"

Staley hails from the area and played his college football at South Carolina before becoming a productive NFL player for 10 seasons. This is sure to command instant respect within the locker room and the coach knows exactly what Panthers football means to fans and the wider community.

The demands Staley sets are high. Both for himself, other coaches, and his players on offense.

There is a fierce competitive edge to Staley that’s hard not to love. But make no mistake, anyone that isn’t 100 percent committed will get found out in a hurry.

This is a figure that players and coaches alike naturally gravitate towards. Reich will lean heavily on Staley’s passion and football acumen throughout their preseason planning and when the real action arrives, which is a similar role to the one he adopted alongside Dan Campbell with great effect.

Not only does this stand to benefit Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, and D’Onta Foreman if he’s brought back, but Staley’s infectious personality should rub off on the entire roster. An energy that was often missing under Matt Rhule’s staff.

Staley might be joining the Panthers due to personal circumstances, but he’s bought into the project. If the players do the same with some elite-level coaches guiding them, a potential NFC South title challenge is well within the team’s capabilities next season.