Ejiro Evero's HC requests suggest Panthers made right move keeping him

The Carolina Panthers are not letting Ejiro Evero walk despite a defensive lapse being a primary reason they're at home now instead of facing the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round.

In fact, the Panthers didn't even let his contract actually expire. They extended the defensive coordinator before the season began, which means they were totally unfazed by the historic level of points his defense yielded in 2024.

It's a controversial decision, to be sure. The Panthers made great strides, but they still topped out as an average to below average defense after two years of being bad. Yet, Evero seems to have incredible job security.

Two NFL teams have asked the Panthers to interview Evero for their head coaching position, though, which suggests that the Panthers might have made the smart decision.

The Falcons have requested to interview Panthers DC Ejiro Evero for their head coaching position, per source.

That along with the Raiders, as @AdamSchefter said.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 11, 2026

Evero brings two things to the table: defense and leadership. Both things seem to be in demand, at least for the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders. Those two teams have already asked the Panthers about him, and others could follow.

Evero is often named as a future head coach. Even as the Panthers defense struggled, Evero remained an interesting candidate. This is because, by and large, people seem to believe that the Panthers' defense can work with Evero's scheme if they have enough talent.

Over the last two years, they haven't had enough talent, especially off the edge. The Panthers have been wholly unable to get any pressure on the quarterback for most of Evero's three years, which significantly changes the success level his scheme can have.

The zone coverage he loves to run works so much better when the QB is sped up by pressure. The lapses we see are often directly attributed to quarterbacks being able to sit in the pocket and wait for someone to come open. No coverage, especially zone, can hold up for that long.

The Panthers invested heavily in the run defense in the offseason. It worked, as their run defense was so much better in 2025. This time, they're likely to continue investing in the pass rush, and it should pay dividends in Evero's scheme.

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