The Carolina Panthers took a huge leap forward during the 2025 NFL season. Carolina finished the regular season 8-9, which was good enough to win the NFC South division title. The Panthers also gave the Rams everything they could handle during the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Now Carolina has added a veteran coach who could help get the team over the hump in 2026.
The Panthers are hiring Darrell Bevell as associate head coach/offensive specialist, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Bevell is a respected NFL assistant coach who has served in several different roles across the league. He is widely respected and should be a huge addition for Dave Canales’ coaching staff.
The 56-year old coach first joined the NFL as an assistant quarterbacks coach back in 2000 with the Packers. Since then, Bevell has served as a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, and passing game coordinator across several different teams.
Bevell has also served as an interim head coach twice during his career. He took over for the Lions in 2020 after Matt Patricia’s exit and again the following season for the Jaguars after the Urban Meyer debacle.
Now Bevell will work closely with Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik in 2026.
The biggest priority in Carolina should be the development of QB Bryce Young. He showed the first flashes of his NFL potential in 2025, throwing for 3,011 passing yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The 2026 season should be an important year for Young. Not only is it his fourth season in the NFL, it could be a huge year for his future evaluation.
Carolina is expected to pick up Young’s fifth-year option, which would tie him to the team through the 2027 season. If that happens, the Panthers will have a two-year window to determine whether or not Young deserves a long-term contract extension.
Thankfully, Young now has Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan as his top target of the future. Carolina’s young talent, with the addition of Bevell’s leadership, could lead to great things in 2026.
It will be fascinating to see how the Panthers approach the offseason with Young’s development in mind.
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