Tag: Josh McCown

Panthers fire assistant HC Duce Staley, QB coach Josh McCown

After parting ways with Frank Reich, the Panthers also fired assistant HC/RB coach Duce Staley and QB coach Josh McCown on Monday.

Frank Reich wasn’t the only coach to feel the wrath on Monday.

A few hours after announcing they had parted ways with their head coach, the Carolina Panthers have also fired assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter was first with the news this afternoon.

Like Reich, Staley and McCown were in their first years with the organization. Both were hired in February as part of the franchise’s overhaul of its coaching staff.

Their dismissals come with the 1-10 Panthers continuing to struggle on offense. Carolina is currently averaging the third-fewest yards per game (265.9) and the fourth-fewest points per game (15.7).

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted that the decisions on Staley and McCown were made by interim head coach Chris Tabor and offensive assistant Jim Caldwell.

As announced by owner David Tepper earlier this morning, Caldwell and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown have been spared from the chopping block. Brown will resume play-calling duties, which were taken back by Reich two weeks ago, with Caldwell serving as his advisor.

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15 possible HC candidates for the Panthers in 2024

Here are 15 names to keep in mind as Panthers owner David Tepper embarks on his third head-coaching search

Here we are again.

For the second time in as many years, the Carolina Panthers are in the market for a new head coach. Monday morning’s firing of Frank Reich, who lasted a miserable 11 games in Charlotte, now opens the door for yet another leader for this unstable franchise.

So, who will that leader be?

Well, it’s still too early to tell. But here are 15 possible candidates that could be of interest to owner David Tepper and company:

Frank Reich taking back the play-calling duties does not bode well for Panthers

Things are not going well for the Panthers right now.

The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a nightmarish season, and head coach Frank Reich is already making another change for the offensive play calling.

After turning over his play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown earlier in the season, Reich announced on Wednesday that he would be taking back the play-calling responsibilities that he held to start the season.

It’s a dramatic shift from the sensible decision to give a promising young coach in Brown a chance at calling the plays, and it strikes of desperation for a 1-8 Panthers team that isn’t getting the kind of growth out of first-overall quarterback Bryce Young that the Houston Texans are getting out of second-overall quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Reich has subtly hinted about possibly not being super down with drafting Young, which is underscored by the fact Carolina quarterbacks coach Josh McCown tipped the coaching staff’s interest in Stroud back in the spring.

Even if this staff is happy with Young, everything is a mess in Carolina right now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get fixed anytime soon.

If you’re a Panthers fan, you’ll have to hope in Young turning things around in a dismal rookie season and Reich taking back the play-calling duties to help this offense find its footing after weeks of struggle.

However, the way this is going, it feels Reich and his staff are coaching for their jobs going forward. Moves like this don’t make them seem like they’re confident that they’ll all be where they are a year from now, which is a sad turn of events for what looked like one of the more impressive new coaching staffs this spring.

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8 Panthers assistants named future head-coaching candidates

A total of eight Panthers assistants were named as future head-coaching candidates by SI’s Conor Orr.

Considering they remain winless through about a quarter of the season, it might be difficult for someone to sell the Carolina Panthers coaching staff at the moment. But not for Sports Illustrated senior writer Conor Orr.

Orr recently published his annual future head coaches index—an “exhaustive list” (Conor’s words, not ours) that accounts for names who will, may and/or should be considered for openings this offseason. Amongst the slew of those mentioned are eight current Panthers assistants—beginning with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Evero, according to Orr, is considered a “lock” to nail down a new job in 2024. He writes:

“Ejiro is a star, man. A bona fide future head coach,” an NFC coach says. “Impressive” was the first word that came on another text about Evero, whose body of work last year as the defensive coordinator with the Broncos is worth a deep dive. Denver allowed 20 or fewer points in nine games last season, but the way in which he manipulated and transformed his personnel to attack opponents on a week-to-week basis was epic. Evero has an elite coaching apprenticeship résumé, having worked under Jim Harbaugh, Mike McCarthy, Sean McVay and now Frank Reich. His quiet confidence is a respect generator. Evero was among the most sought-after defensive coordinators on the market after a series of head coaching interviews last year with the Colts and Panthers, among other teams.

Despite Carolina’s 0-4 start, Evero has his unit working at a pretty admirable rate—even with injuries to key starters such as cornerback Jaycee Horn and linebacker Shaq Thompson. Heading into Week 4’s Monday nighter, the Panthers have allowed the 14th-fewest total yards per game (313.0), the sixth-fewest first downs (40) and have racked up a respectable 12 sacks.

Heck, they were even able to “hold” Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson down to 85 yards in Sunday’s loss. Granted, he scored two touchdowns and the run defense was quite leaky—but those 85 yards were a far cry from what the All-Pro pass catcher did in his first three weeks.

Evero is joined on the list by his following co-workers:

  • Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown
  • Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown
  • Assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley
  • Secondary/cornerbacks coach Jonathan Cooley
  • Assistant defensive backs coach DeAngelo Hall
  • Linebackers coach Peter Hansen
  • Outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu

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Ballers Bryce Young, Josh McCown headline our Panthers starting 5

On Wednesday, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer posed an interesting question to QB Bryce Young. And since the rookie couldn’t answer it just yet, we did.

On Wednesday, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer posed an interesting question to Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young: Who are the best hoopers on the roster? But since it isn’t basketball season for these NFLers, the rookie couldn’t give a definitive answer quite yet.

Zietlow then asked fans a similar question on Twitter later that afternoon . . .

So, that got us thinking.

Here is our starting five from the Carolina locker room:

Bryce Young acknowledges QB coach Josh McCown’s basketball skills

Bryce Young on QB coach Josh McCown’s basketball prowess: I’ve been able to see some things he could do, he’s crazy athletic to this day

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young hasn’t had much time to fully settle into his new home of Charlotte, even nearly four months after he was drafted. Heck, he still doesn’t even know which of his new friends can ball.

On Wednesday, Young—who’s known to also be quite the passer on the hardwood—was asked if he’s had a chance to gauge the basketball skills of his teammates. Unfortunately, it’s been a time of talking, not hooping.

“Just through conversation—there’s a lot of bold statements being made within the locker room,” he said with a smile. “It’s season, so now’s not necessarily the time to figure it out. Everyone’s so confident. It’s a great time to talk right now. We’re not gonna find out for however long. We’re not just going to run. Everyone loves to proclaim they’re the best basketball player on planet Earth. So, eventually a time will come where I’ll have to find out.”

He has, however, had the time to find out about quarterbacks coach Josh McCown—whose basketball prowess has been well-documented.

“I’ve shot around with him,” he said of the 44-year-old. “And you can tell when like someone definitely can play. I could tell. I’ve shot around with him, I’ve been able to see some things he could do—he’s crazy athletic to this day. Like, crazy.”

So, when the time finally does come for the Panthers to ball, we know who Bryce will be picking up for his run.

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Panthers QB Andy Dalton: I view myself as a starter in this league

Andy Dalton doesn’t think there are 32 quarterbacks in the NFL who are better than him.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton just pulled a page out of Cam Newton’s book.

In a recent phone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the 35-year-old said he believes there aren’t 32 passers in the NFL who are currently better than him.

“I view myself as a starter in this league; I don’t think there are 32 guys better than me,” Dalton told columnist Mac Engel. “But this is the situation I am in, and I understand that. As soon as I don’t think I’m one of the best 32, or a little lower, I’ll be watching football on TV.”

The situation he’s in now has him sitting behind Bryce Young, who was selected with the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. The 13th-year veteran was brought in on a two-year, $10 million deal to—for the most part—help guide the franchise’s rookie quarterback through the early stages of his pro career.

But Dalton, of course, knows what he signed up for.

“I am in a really, really good situation here; (head coach) Frank Reich played til he was 38. He was a career backup,” Dalton added. “He understands the continuity you want in a (quarterback) room. (Panthers quarterbacks coach) Josh McCown played until he was 40.

“Josh was my friend for the last 10 years, and now he’s my coach.”

And now, in some sense, Dalton is a bit of a coach as well.

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Ex-Panthers S Tre Boston: Bryce Young is capable of anything and everything

Former Panthers safety Tre Boston: I think Bryce Young is capable of doing anything and everything he wants on the field

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While promoting his new show—which is set to premiere this Sunday on The Weather Channel—Tre Boston took some time out to forecast the future of the Carolina Panthers.

The former safety joined Friday’s edition of Good Morning Football and spoke on his old hometown pals in Charlotte. When asked about the franchise’s decision to go up and get their quarterback of the future (and present), Boston said he sees sunny days ahead for the cats.

“I think it’s a very smart decision,” he stated. “One thing we know about the Panthers and [general manager] Scott Fitterer is he’s very aggressive. So for them to trade up, get Bryce Young at No. 1—it’s telling the organization and the people who are fans that, ‘Hey, we’re trying to win and we’re trying to do it by making a big impact.'”

That big impact came back on March 10, when the Panthers pounced atop the draft order to position themselves for the passer they desired. For that, they shipped off a handful of high-end picks and standout receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for 2023’s first overall selection.

Boston said that he also likes what Carolina has put in place for their guy since.

“What I love about Bryce Young is that he has veterans around him,” he added. “Andy Dalton. He has a quarterback coach in Josh McCown. So you, as a young guy, get the veteran leadership that you need. But I would love to allow people to let him have the time that he needs. But I think Bryce Young is capable of doing anything and everything he wants on the field—as long as the Panthers find ways to protect him.”

Oh, and they’re capable of that as well. Carolina, headlined by 2022 first-round pick and left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, is boasting its best offensive line in quite some time.

So you, or Tre, could say that the Panthers did a bit of renovation to their home this offseason.

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Could 3 Panthers assistants become head coaches in 2024?

At least three Panthers assistants could be in the mix for a number of potential head-coaching vacancies in 2024.

The Carolina Panthers have it pretty good with their new all-star coaching staff. But, they may not have it for long.

As part of his 100 bold predictions for the upcoming season, Sports Illustrated senior writer Conor Orr cast a net over nine possible head-coaching candidates for 2024. Among them were three Panthers assistants.

Orr writes:

There will be nine head coaching vacancies at the end of the season

The candidates we’ll all be obsessing over by November will include Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who I believe will be the most sought-after candidate of the cycle. Also in the mix will be Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, Dolphins OC Frank Smith, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Panthers QBs coach Josh McCown and OC Thomas Brown, Bengals OC Brian Callahan, and Giants OC Mike Kafka and DC Don Martindale.

That Carolina trio has already chalked up a collective handful of head-coaching interviews over the past few years. Evero spoke with the Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts this offseason while all three—at some point between 2022 and 2023—were considered by the Houston Texans.

And, hey, why stop at three? Carolina assistant head coach Duce Staley, who’s highly respected within league circles, may also be in the mix come next winter.

But however this all shakes out, it seems more likely than not that the current staff will look at least a bit different in 2024.

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Panthers QB coach Josh McCown: I spend as much time as legally possible with Bryce Young

Panthers QB coach Josh McCown said he’s spending as much time as legally possible with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.

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Josh McCown is really committed to his new gig.

On Thursday, the new Carolina Panthers quarterbacks coach spoke with reporters following the team’s latest practice session. In a shocking development (incoming sarcasm), he was asked about working with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young—something he apparently can’t get enough of.

McCown went on to laud Young’s commitment—noting the rookie’s eagerness to learn, adapt and execute in the early stages of his pro transition. He also talked a bit about the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner’s off-the-charts processing ability and fine footwork, traits he’s looking forward to help build upon.

“He has a playmaking capacity to him that’s special to his game, and we want to honor that,” he said per team reporter Augusta Stone. “But at the NFL, we have to help him mold what he does best to the NFL. That’s a fun process.”

Hopefully for McCown, Young and the Panthers, the results are just as fun as that process.

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