The NFL has officially entered full-blown coaching chaos mode. And the Carolina Panthers are just watching it all unfold, with the stability sorely lacking under team owner David Tepper before the new regime turned the tide.
The Buffalo Bills' firing of Sean McDermott after a divisional round loss brought the total to 10 head coaching changes this offseason or earlier in the 2025 campaign. Longtime pillars like Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh are gone. Recent success stories like Kevin Stefanski and Mike McDaniel didn’t survive. One-and-done experiments, midseason firings, and organizational resets are everywhere.
For most fan bases, that kind of instability sparks anxiety. For Panthers fans, it should spark confidence. While half the league is spinning through the coaching carousel, Carolina is finally standing still and growing.
While everyone else changes voices, the Carolina Panthers found one
Two years ago, the Panthers were still searching for direction. Now, they have something far rarer in today’s NFL. That is a shared vision for the future and a franchise alignment that was seldom seen before head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan took charge.
Canales has gone from offensive play-caller to true head coach in real time. His presence in special teams meetings. His willingness to delegate. His growing command of situational football. His openness to learning from experienced voices like Jim Caldwell and Dom Capers.
“When you’re trying to build a culture, people expect those things to just come overnight,” running back Chuba Hubbard said. “But culture is born and made over long periods of time… I think you’re starting to see guys really buy into it.”
The Panthers didn’t just sneak into the playoffs by accident. They won an NFC South title while building habits that translate, not just chasing wins. Bryce Young authored six game-winning drives. The team led the league in fourth-down conversions. Players believed they were never out of a game.
“We won the South,” veteran lineman Austin Corbett said after the season, “and yeah, it wasn’t how you dream of winning in the South necessarily. But it’s like, all right, the process works, and we got there for a reason.”
Contrast that with teams now starting over. Carolina enters Year 3 of Canales with clarity. The NFL’s coaching carousel will keep spinning. It always does. But for the first time in years, Panthers fans don’t have to watch it nervously.
As the rest of the league searches for stability, the Panthers already have it. They’re finally ready to build on it instead of starting over.