The Carolina Panthers' 2024 season was another failure overall. They started horribly and languished among the NFL's bottom feeders once again. However, a promising second half of the campaign brought optimism where once there was nothing but abject misery.
Dave Canales endured a baptism of fire right out of the gate. Injuries and a lack of talent didn't exactly help, but the head coach remained resolute and never wavered in the face of adversity.
There were some huge calls so early into his tenure. Benching quarterback Bryce Young was the biggest by a considerable margin. But after receiving scathing criticism for supposedly giving up on the signal-caller too soon, it turned out to be the landmark move that saved his career.
The Panthers got five wins for their efforts, which is a marked improvement on the two attained in 2023. They were more competitive and removed their laughingstock narrative, but those in power have a significant amount of hard work ahead to take the next step.
Carolina is well-positioned to recruit effectively with the resources available. Other elements of the football operation should come under the microscope in the hope more progress will arrive when competitive action begins once again.
With this in mind, here are five changes the Panthers must make to avoid another disaster in 2025.
Changes the Carolina Panthers must make to avoid another disaster in 2025
Defensive staff alterations
The Carolina Panthers are moving forward with Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator. This was a contentious issue among the fanbase after he oversaw a historically bad campaign for his unit. Dave Canales remains confident of better fortunes next season if the playing personnel improves.
Canales gave no such job security assurances to Evero's assistants. The Panthers stood pat in this area once the coordinator agreed to stay on and work with the new head coach. That shouldn't be the case this time around.
If Canales thinks a fresh injection of ideas and coaching methods is required under Evero, he shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. The coordinator will be on board with any alterations considering the pressure on his shoulders to bounce back and re-enter head coaching consideration.
Evero hasn't gotten a single interview as yet and is unlikely to do so. If some staffing alterations can help re-energize and re-motivate his squad, the better his chances will be during the 2026 hiring cycle.
This will be disappointing for some, but the Panthers aren't harboring any sentiment about their decision-making process under the new regime.