Breaking down the Carolina Panthers’ historically bad defense, and how to improve in 2025

The question has been cropping up as the Carolina Panthers’ season has limped along, but perhaps it feels more urgent now:

What’s the future of the Panthers’ defense?

Charlotte Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow spend a bunch of time pondering this future — including the future of the team’s defensive coordinator, Ejiro Evero — on the latest episode of Processing Blue.

In addition to the future, the Kaye-Zietlow duo discuss the Panthers at present. There’s no way to break down the team’s fiasco-of-a-game against the Tampa Bay Bucs without mentioning the Panthers are less than 37 points away from allowing the all-time most points in a season and without discussing the Bryce Young-Adam Thielen connection, the mallard on the field and ... a classic film called Tombstone.

Listen to the latest episode at the embed in this story, or download it on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to the show on YouTube.

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription