The Panthers didn’t waste much time after Thursday night’s 27-19 loss to the Packers. With Carolina sitting at 3-4 in the 2026 season, the front office made a major defensive move, parting ways with coordinator Ejiro Evero after another uneven showing from a unit that has too often put the team in a hole.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Sources: Panthers are letting go of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero,” and the shakeup didn’t stop there. Fowler also reported, “The Panthers also are moving on from defensive pass-game coordinator Jonathan Cooley, per league sources. A sizeable cleaning of defensive house in Carolina.”
The timing makes the decision stand out, but the numbers explain why the Panthers reached this point. Carolina’s defense ranks 23rd in yards allowed per game and is giving up 27.6 points per game, which puts it sixth-worst in the league. The run defense has been especially rough, allowing 140.7 yards per game, the third-worst mark in the NFL.
The pass defense, at least on paper, has held up better. The Panthers are ninth in the league in passing yards allowed per game at 208.9. Even so, that hasn’t been enough to offset the broader problems, especially after Jordan Love went 30-of-41 for 288 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the loss to Green Bay.
Carolina’s offense line didn’t help matters either, with Bryce Young facing plenty of pressure, but the defense has clearly become the bigger issue. Injuries have played a role in the struggles, yet the Panthers decided the overall performance still demanded a change.
That’s especially true with the NFC South wide open. Even at 3-4, Carolina is in first place in the division, and the organization clearly believes it can’t afford to keep waiting for the defense to sort itself out.
Todd Walsh will take over as interim defensive coordinator starting in Week 9.
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Panthers Loss Revealed Who Actually Held Up In Week 8
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Corey Bullock came away as the best-performing presence on the offensive line, while Lee Hunter stood out on defense in the kind of game where every clean rep mattered. The broader takeaway was less about the final score than the way the grades underscored which Panthers were able to keep their footing when the roster around them was already stretched thin. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defensive Shakeup Puts One Big Question On Struggling Unit
The Panthers made a significant change to their defensive staff this week, moving on from coordinator Ejiro Evero and turning the unit over to Todd Wash on an interim basis. Wash brings previous coordinator experience from his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, along with a long run as a defensive line coach around the league, so Carolina is leaning on a veteran voice to steady a group that has struggled.
Along with the coordinator change, the team has also reshuffled responsibilities elsewhere on the defensive side, expanding AC Carters role and parting ways with Jonathan Cooley. It is the kind of midseason reset that usually signals more than just one adjustment, and for a Panthers defense trying to find answers, the biggest question now is how quickly the new structure can take hold. [Read more 🡒]