Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said during his introductory news conference Thursday that the team is expected to retain defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Dave Canales said he expects Ejiro Evero to be back as defensive coordinator, calling that a "huge piece" for the Panthers.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) February 1, 2024
Dave Canales says he expects DC Ejiro Evero to return as the Panthers' defensive coordinator. He talked about how tough it was for him as a play-caller going against Evero's defenses.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) February 1, 2024
The 43-year-old has been a highly coveted candidate for multiple openings across the league this offseason, landing numerous interviews for head-coaching gigs. Evero interviewed for both the Atlanta Falcons' lead job and the same role with the Seattle Seahawks last month.
Those positions went to Raheem Morris and Mike Macdonald, respectively.
Evero began his NFL career with Canales' former club (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) as their defensive quality control coach for three seasons from 2007-09, then held various titles with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2015 and was the Green Bay Packers defensive quality control coach in 2016.
He spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 2017-2021, including four years as the group's safeties coach and the Super Bowl-winning 2021 campaign as their secondary/pass game coordinator.
The coach landed his first defensive coordinator position in 2022 with the Denver Broncos, working with the likes of Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II and star defensive end/linebacker Bradley Chubb. The unit finished 14th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 21.1 points per game.
Evero was offered the interim head-coaching job with Denver when Nathaniel Hackett was fired but declined and stayed on as the defensive coordinator for the remainder of the year.
He was hired as Carolina's defensive coordinator last February and with a young core lacking much star talent, the group finished third in passing yards allowed per game (171.5) and fourth in total yards surrendered per contest (293.9). The Panthers had trouble keeping teams out of the end zone, however, ranking 29th in points per game allowed (24.5).
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!