Dan Morgan promised to urgently seek reinforcements for the Carolina Panthers' historically bad defense this offseason. After delivering on his promise, the microscope is firmly on third-year coordinator Ejiro Evero to produce the goods.
There's no doubt Evero had excuses for his unit's poor performance last season. The Panthers didn't replace key departures such as Frankie Luvu, Jeremy Chinn, and Brian Burns effectively enough. The starting options lacked quality, and Carolina didn't have the depth needed to compensate for some devastating injuries early in the campaign.
Ejiro Evero under pressure to improve Carolina Panthers' defense after offseason overhaul
This was a recipe for disaster. Morgan took his fair share of the blame, acknowledging that he didn't do enough to help from a personnel standpoint. But after significant investments in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, Joe Person from The Athletic believes it's officially time for Evero to meet his end of the bargain.
"The defensive coordinator went from getting head-coaching interviews after the 2022 and ’23 seasons to hearing speculation about his job status after a season in which the Panthers were the league’s worst-ranked defense and gave up more points than any team in NFL history. But as promised, Morgan gave Evero more pieces to work with this offseason, beginning with five free-agent acquisitions and continuing through the draft. Most of the additions have been up front, where the Panthers beefed up the interior and at the edge."Joe Person
Evero came into the Panthers with a blossoming reputation. David Tepper reportedly paid a premium to bring him on board, but the results haven't met this lofty billing as yet. No head coaching interviews arrived this offseason, which means he's on a road to redemption in pursuit of changing the narrative.
The new additions will help greatly, but the margin for error is non-existent. Evero heads into the campaign firmly on the hot seat. If improvements aren't immediate, or the same complications continue, a situation could emerge where he doesn't last the season.
That's the worst-case scenario. For now, hopes are high that Evero can maximize the enhanced personnel at his disposal and the Panthers become more balanced en route to brighter fortunes.
Anything less will be considered a massive failure. Whether it's during the season or after, it's something that will all but guarantee Evero's time with the Panthers ends.
The time to silence his doubters has arrived. Whether Evero has what it takes is another matter.