Carolina Panthers move on from two notable defensive assistant coaches
Ejiro Evero’s defensive coaching staff will look a bit different in 2025.
The Panthers parted ways with outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu and safeties coach Bert Watts this week, league sources told The Observer. Both assistant coaches arrived with Evero in 2023 as part of then-head coach Frank Reich’s staff.
Evero is set to return for his third year as defensive coordinator, which will be his second under current head coach Dave Canales. Both Canales and general manager Dan Morgan sang Evero’s praises, despite a season that saw his unit give up the most points in an NFL season (534). The Panthers’ defense also became the fourth team all-time to give up 3,000 rushing yards in a campaign (3,057).
“Ejiro will be back with us as our defensive coordinator,” Canales said Monday. “We have a lot of things to evaluate over the next couple of days and then certainly into the offseason to reflect on our schemes, to reflect on our personnel, to reflect on the guys we have here going forward. There (are) a lot of really important conversations about all those factors that will be great to have.”
Instead of turning away Evero, his staff was adjusted.
Lukabu oversaw a group led by Jadeveon Clowney in 2024 after the team traded away Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns in the offseason. Clowney ended up leading the team with 5.5 sacks, but the outside linebacker room had consistent turnaround behind him. D.J. Wonnum was brought in to be a starting outside linebacker, but a quad surgery setback and infection led to him being sidelined until Week 10. He eventually returned with an impact, producing four sacks in eight games.
The team spent a third-round pick on D.J. Johnson in 2023, and he struggled to develop as a pass rusher. While the Oregon alum did become a regular on obvious run downs, his two-year total of a half-sack left a lot to be desired. The team was also forced to use the practice squad as a depth feeder during Lukabu’s tenure, with players like Eku Leota, Kenny Dyson, Thomas Incoom, Tarron Jackson and Shaq Lawson weaving on and off the roster in 2024.
Watts arrived with Evero in 2023 after the two worked together in Denver in 2022. Watts oversaw a unit led by Xavier Woods during his two-year tenure. Unfortunately, injuries and a lack of production led to quite a bit of churn in the room. Vonn Bell was released following the 2023 season, and the team brought in Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott to make up for the loss. Both veterans were benched at different points in the season as they also dealt with mid-season injuries. While undrafted rookie Demani Richardson made a late-season impact, Woods, Fuller and Scott appeared to regress in play during Watts’ second year on the job.
Defensive quality control coach Bobby Maffei was also let go. Maffei was the longest-tenured member of the coaching staff, as he was hired by Matt Rhule in 2022. Maffei worked with the cornerback group during Steve Wilks’ run as interim head coach later that year. He was retained by both Reich and Canales in the following two years, as he was well-respected internally by both the tenured coaching staff and the front office. Maffei mostly worked with the defensive backfield during his tenure.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 6:25 PM.
