Panthers fire defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero after 3 1/2 seasons

The Carolina Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the team announced Friday morning, a day after a 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on “Thursday Night Football” dropped them to 3-4. Defensive line coach Todd Wash has been named the interim DC.

Evero, the Panthers’ DC since 2023, also previously spent one season as the Denver Broncos’ coordinator. The Panthers are allowing 27.6 points per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. They are 23rd in the league in allowing 349.6 yards per game.

Carolina allowed 59 points in its season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears and 43 points in a Week 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers fired Evero despite playing their past four games without starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson and their past two games without their $120 million edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.

In Thursday’s loss at Green Bay, Carolina didn’t sack Packers quarterback Jordan Love despite a 44 percent blitz rate, the fourth-highest blitz rate without generating a sack this season, according to SumerSports.

Evero’s tenure predates the arrival of Panthers coach Dave Canales; Evero initially joined the team during Frank Reich’s brief 11-game stint as coach in 2023. Evero was retained by Canales, and the Panthers quietly extended his contract last year.

Canales gave him a vote of confidence at the end of the season, a campaign in which the Panthers were middle of the pack in both total defense (16th) and scoring defense (15th) and won the NFC South despite an 8-9 record.

This story will be updated.