The Carolina Panthers (3-4) are moving in a new direction on defense following Friday's firing of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
On Thursday night, the Panthers lost their second consecutive game, falling 27-19 to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
With Evero now out of the mix, Carolina will look to improve the league's 23rd-ranked defense, which ranks third worst in the NFL against the run through seven games. During the former coordinator's tenure the unit ranked 30th in scoring defense, 28th in pass rush win rate and last in rushing defense, so there's room for improvement heading into Carolina's final 10 games of the 2026 season.
The Panthers next play Nov. 8 against the visiting Denver Broncos.
Evero's departure is an opportunity to switch things up under coach Dave Canales entering the midway point of his third season at the helm. And given the outlook of the defense and the main characters in it, there are reasons to believe the group can improve in short order.
Here are three reasons for optimism as the Panthers change coordinators and switch up their defense entering that Week 9 game:
Todd Wash will be the new voice calling plays on defense
Carolina will hand the defense to interim coordinator Todd Wash for the remainder of the season. Wash was one of two assistant coaches on that side of the ball who had a coordinator background, the other being secondary coach Renaldo Hill.
Wash served as defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016 to 2020. During the 2017 season, Wash oversaw the league's No. 2-ranked defense and helped guide the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game under coach Doug Marrone. Wash also has a long history with Canales and general manager Dan Morgan. The trio worked together with the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2012, as Wash and Canales were assistants under then-coach Pete Carroll and Morgan worked as a scout in the front office.
Wash has a background with several different schemes. His hybrid front in Jacksonville mixed and matched odd- and even-front tendencies with four- and three-man trench groups.
Given the Panthers' midseason coordinator switch, Wash might still need to lean on Evero's scheme, but he can toy with the fronts in the weeks ahead. Carolina struggled to rush the passer and stop the run during Evero's tenure, and Wash, a longtime defensive line coach, could try to make the most of his well-paid top-tier talent in the front seven by altering game plans around the base principles of Evero's system so players aren't learning on the fly.
Defensive linemen Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton have scheme versatility. So, too, do outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips, Patrick Jones II and Princely Umanmielen. Inside linebackers Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke can adapt as well if needed.
Injured players will be making their returns
The secondary was down to its fifth and sixth cornerbacks Thursday night at Green Bay. Marco Wilson, a practice squad elevation, started the game opposite rookie Will Lee III, who was replaced by Chau Smith-Wade after Lee suffered a hamstring injury midway through the game and was ruled out.
Starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) have been out for their league-mandated four games on injured reserve, and they are eligible to return to action once they are cleared to perform. According to Canales, the pair is making good progress with rehab behind the scenes. Their returns would be huge for the defensive backfield and for the unit overall.
Phillips, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, should return eventually. It would have been tough for Phillips to return on a short week on Thursday, so the Panthers took it easy on the top pass rusher ahead of their final 10 games. Bobby Brown, who had a hand injury that kept him out of the game at Green Bay, should also be able to return in the weeks ahead.
There is some upside with the youthful roster
On Thursday, safety Zakee Wheatley (pick No. 151 in the 2026 draft) collected the first interception of his pro career. Rookie linebacker Jackson Kuwatch (pick No. 227) forced his first fumble on special teams.
The youth movement in Carolina -- and on defense especially -- should be in full force for the weeks ahead. Wheatley, Kuwatch and other members of the 2026 class have flashed, and now Wash -- who is likely auditioning to be retained as coordinator -- can open the floodgates.
Wash has already overseen a defensive line in which second-round pick Lee Hunter has been a mainstay all season. He has also been unafraid to give a quality role to undrafted lineman Aaron Hall early on. Other up-and-comers such as Kuwatch, Wheatley and safety Lathan Ransom (2025 fourth-round pick) could benefit from the switch in perspective from Evero to Wash.
The Panthers' front office has invested draft picks in those players -- along with Smith-Wade and Umanmielen -- and with Wash getting the interim tag, the new playcaller could try to spotlight the youth over some of Evero's favorites down the stretch.