The Carolina Panthers are firmly focused on reaching the postseason by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. That would be a significant milestone for this perennial struggler, but others around the league started planning for the future long ago.
This scenario is something Panthers fans have become depressingly familiar with under David Tepper's ownership, but things are finally trending up. General manager Dan Morgan will be formulating a plan of attack behind the scenes, and one of the most significant talking points centers on the future of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Evero's three-year contract is up. Some sections of the fan base are clamoring for a fresh start. An extension couldn't be dismissed. However, this decision may be taken out of Carolina's hands if the play-caller gets into the head coaching mix once again.
Ejiro Evero named as lively outsider for the Giants' head coaching job
Jordan Raanan of ESPN believes Evero has an outside chance of drawing interest from the New York Giants. That may be surprising to some, but the insider highlighted his natural leadership and ability to command respect in the locker room as reasons the NFC East club could show interest.
There is no doubt that Evero has restored his reputation this season. That wasn't a high bar to aim for after his unit's historically bad campaign in 2024, but the improvements are notable. He's also come in for more criticism on occasion, so his future beyond the current season could legitimately go either way.
One also has to wonder if Evero would want to come back.
He'll jump at the chance to interview for vacant head coaching jobs if given the chance. With the coordinator a free agent, he may also take another job elsewhere if the right opportunity arises. There is just no telling for sure right now. But these decisions will have to wait.
The Panthers are staring down their first NFC South championship in a decade. They can make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 with one more victory. That is the primary focus for everybody, and any discussion of offseason moves is firmly on hold until further notice.
Evero is a good coach. He was touted as a sure thing to be a head coach down the line before joining the Panthers. Momentum has stalled since then, but this report underscores the esteem in which he is held in league circles.
That's a positive working in his favor if nothing else. Whether it amounts to anything more is debatable, but the Panthers will have contingency plans in place for every eventuality.