The Carolina Panthers finally spent big to bolster their defense this offseason, but the Week 1 return was brutal. After pouring money into Lloyd and Phillips to address the two biggest holes on that side of the ball, Carolina still got steamrolled in an ugly 52-point loss to the Chicago Bears’ offense.
That’s what makes the conversation around Ejiro Evero impossible to dodge now. The Panthers no longer have the same talent-deficit excuse they leaned on in past seasons, and this opener only sharpened the question of what exactly Evero is bringing to the table.
Ben Johnson is a tough test for any defense, and that matters here. Most defensive coordinators struggle against his offense, and if this is the new Caleb Williams, plenty of teams are going to have a long year. But Carolina also invested more than most teams on defense, and it still looked overwhelmed.
A lot of the damage came from Johnson’s designs working against Evero’s calls, along with Panthers defenders failing to stay disciplined, especially against the run. The decision not to play Cam Jackson, who had a great camp, also stood out.
Evero had some cover in 2024 and 2025. The 2024 defense was historically bad, but Derrick Brown was lost and there was almost nothing else behind him.
In 2025, the roster still wasn’t in great shape because of some poor investments, including Tershawn Wharton. That is no longer the situation.
This year was supposed to be different. It was supposed to be the first season where Evero had real pieces to work with. Instead, the Panthers gave up over 500 yards and watched the Bears score 52, despite having all offseason to prepare for this matchup.
Chicago mostly did what it wanted. Carolina’s offense did enough for stretches to keep the game from getting even uglier, and the Bears also helped the Panthers early with a fumble on their opening possession and a failed fourth-down try inside their own 25. But none of that changes the bigger picture.
The Panthers now have a talented defense. That part is finally true.
What remains unclear is what Evero is actually adding to it. And after a start this bad, the patience is running thin fast.
If this keeps going, Evero will have long since outlived his usefulness. At that point, if Carolina is serious about contending this year or even just being competitive, the Panthers will have to make a change.
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Panthers Biggest Offseason Fix Already Looks Like A Serious Problem
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Caleb Williams carved up Carolina for eight total touchdowns, and DAndre Swift added three rushing scores as the Bears kept pouring it on. For a team that believed its biggest fix had already been addressed, the opener raised an uncomfortable question about how much progress was actually made, and how quickly this defense can turn the page after getting exposed so badly. [Read more 🡒]