The Panthers added another candidate to their General Manager search on Wednesday.
The team announced that they have requested permission to interview Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner for the position. The Panthers fired Scott Fitterer on Monday.
Disner has been with the Lions for four years and he was named their COO in 2022. He was previously the Cardinals’ vice president of football administration and his work has largely focused on contract negotiations and salary cap management.
The Panthers have requested an interview with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, so there could be some thought of a package deal that brings both men to Carolina if conversations go well in the coming days.
The Panthers have fired their head coach and General Manager, but not all assistants are currently able to seek employment elsewhere.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Carolina has blocked a request from Jacksonville to interview defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for the same position. The Panthers plan to interview Evero for their own head coaching vacancy.
Evero was hired last offseason after spending one year with the Broncos as defensive coordinator. Much like in 2022, the Panthers’ defense was the team’s strength in comparison to an inept offense. Carolina finished No. 4 in total defense after Denver finished No. 7 in total defense with Evero at the helm.
Jacksonville elected to fire coordinator Mike Caldwell and his staff after the team finished No. 22 in total defense and No. 17 in points allowed. The Jaguars were 8-3 before dropping five of their last six games to finish the year 9-8 and miss the postseason.
The Panthers are reportedly looking at another offensive coordinator of a playoff team to be their next head coach.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Carolina is expected to interview Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brian Johnson for the position.
Johnson took over as OC this season after Shane Steichen departed the organization to become the Colts head coach. While the Eagles undoubtedly struggled down the stretch — losing five of their last six games — the club finished at No. 7 in points scored and No. 8 in total yards.
Johnson, 36, was previously the Eagles quarterbacks coach from 2021-2022.
Before entering the league, Johnson served as Florida’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020. He has also worked as an offensive assistant at Houston, Mississippi State, and Utah in the college ranks.
The Panthers are searching for a new head coach and General Manager after firing Frank Reich midseason and Scott Fitterer after the season ended.
Bryce Young did not make the kind of splash the Panthers hoped to see after trading a lot to the Bears in order to select the quarterback with the first overall pick last year.
The Panthers were shut out in the final two weeks of the season and the 2-15 team finished the year 31st in points scored and 32nd in yards. They won’t be able to use the first overall pick this year to help improve the offense because they dealt it to Chicago and that means the new coaching staff will need to find other ways to help make Young’s second season better than his first.
Veteran tight end Hayden Hurst thinks one way to help will be to limit the number of voices in Young’s head.
“I think there’s just too many opinions and you’re kind of looking for the right answer from everybody. Too much input, which sucks for Bryce,” Hurst said, via the team’s website. “I think he kind of had a lot of people in his ear telling him one thing. When you’re a 21-year-old kid, you think that is gonna be consistent in the NFL. And unfortunately for him, I think maybe he was listening too many people. So it’ll be a good off season for him, again, just to kind of get back to his roots.”
Young said he appreciated Hurst’s comments, but thinks that having more voices in your ear than in college is part of life as an NFL quarterback because “everyone’s involved, everyone’s invested and I don’t feel like it was too much.” In Year Two, Young and the Panthers will need to make sure that the right voices are getting through because better results are needed for anyone to feel good about the path the team is on.
There is another team with a head coaching vacancy.
The Titans have fired Mike Vrabel, the team announced on Tuesday.
“Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach,” team owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “As I told coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I’ve made as Controlling Owner. I appreciate Mike’s contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field. Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he’s been a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future.”
Strunk added that as she assessed the team, she concluded that the team needed a “fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
“My decision today is not only a reflection of my disappointment in our past two seasons, but also my recognition that further changes are necessary to fully achieve our vision,” Strunk said. “I will never shy away from acknowledging that I have unapologetically high expectations for the football team and every aspect of the Titans organization. Our vision is not simply to produce more wins than losses, it is to regularly compete for championships.
“While this season was disappointing, I see early signs of progress taking shape. Last year we added a promising young quarterback and several other talented players to our roster. With a coaching search, enviable cap space, and top-10 draft position, this offseason is as important as any in our history. I’m excited for the weeks and months ahead. We will meet the moment.”
Vrabel the 2021 coach of the year, went 54-45 in his six seasons as Tennessee’s head coach. But after reaching the AFC Championship game in 2019, the team went one and done in the 2020 and 2021 postseason.
The Titans then finished 7-10 in 2022 and 6-11 in 2023, including a 1-9 record in division games.
Vrabel is almost certain to command attention from other teams with current vacancies and another team that’s expected to have one. With Bill Belichick likely on his way out in New England, Vrabel is likely to garner interest from the Patriots to be their next head coach.
Vrabel played eight years for the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls with the club. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame during the 2023 season.
