Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s who the Panthers are moving on from as they rebuild their coaching staff for 2024
The Carolina Panthers are, once again, going out with the old and in with the new.
So now that we’re tallying up the new, let’s also keep track of the old.
Here are the team’s coaching departures heading into the 2024 campaign:
Panthers WR coach Shawn Jefferson is reportedly drawing quite a bit of interest from a former employer.
Another all-star from the Carolina Panthers’ 2023 coaching staff may be soaring out of town.
According to CBS Sports senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, the New York Jets are close to hiring Panthers wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. Anderson notes that “things are heating up” between Jefferson and the Jets, who have been interested in the 54-year-old for quite some time.
The Panthers hired Jefferson last February. He brought 30 years of NFL experience with him to Carolina, with 17 of those coming as a coach.
Jefferson, a former wideout, began his career on the sidelines as an offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions in 2006. From there, he advanced to the role of assistant wide receivers coach in 2007, then to wide receivers coach from 2008 to 2012.
He went on to serve in the same position for the Tennessee Titans (2013 to 2015), the Miami Dolphins (2016 to 2018), the Jets (2019 to 2020) and the Arizona Cardinals (2021 to 2022). Jefferson was also an associate head coach in New York and Arizona.
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54-year-old Panthers WR coach Shawn Jefferson padded up and delivered some hits at practice this morning.
The first time Shawn Jefferson spoke with reporters as the new Carolina Panthers wide receiver coach, he said his unit was “under construction.” Well, he backed up those words a bit literally on Saturday.
Jefferson geared up during the team’s training camp work down in Spartanburg this morning, slapping on a helmet and shoulder pads for position drills. He also equipped himself with a blocking pad to lay some hits on his guys, as shown in this video from Vashti Hurt of Carolina Blitz:
Panthers wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson is padded up and delivering hits during wide receiver drills. pic.twitter.com/jKA3jo2A2U
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) August 5, 2023
A former wide receiver himself (obviously), Jefferson played 13 seasons in the league. Over that time, he reeled in 470 balls for 7,023 yards and 29 touchdowns.
The 54-year-old is now in his 18th campaign on the NFL sidelines, 16 of which have come as a wide receivers coach. He’s also served as an assistant head coach on two different occasions—with the New York Jets in 2019 and 2020 and with the Arizona Cardinals this past season.
And by the looks of it, he may be adding “defensive back” to his list of duties for the Panthers this year.
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Panthers WR coach Shawn Jefferson on DJ Chark: He’ll be healthy this year, I can assure you that
Never mind an injury bug—DJ Chark has been bitten by the injury shark.
After missing action in each of his five NFL seasons, the new Carolina Panthers wide receiver is looking for a new (and healthy) start in 2023. And so far, he’s been exceptionally strong—lighting up the deep-ball game day in and day out during this summer’s training camp.
Chark was profiled by Joe Person of The Athletic in a piece from Thursday morning, which included a hopeful quote from wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson.
“He’ll be healthy this year, I can assure you that. We’ve been grinding through offseason (and) training camp. And training camp is about getting these guys calloused up,” Jefferson said. “He’s not getting hurt this year. We’re going in with that mindset that he’s not getting hurt. He’ll play a full season this year.”
The 26-year-old hasn’t played a full season yet. A bothersome ankle, one he underwent surgery on this offseason, caused him to miss 12 games in 2021 and six games in 2022.
But as he returns to full health and full speed, Chark—who told Person it’s time to get back on track—seems ready to stay in the water.
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In helping build a new offense, Panthers WR coach Shawn Jefferson is getting his players to “find out” before they get found out.
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Things didn’t go so well for the last Carolina Panthers coach who used the word “construction” in an analogy. But these things feel a bit different this time around.
On Thursday, new wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson was asked about where third-year pass catcher Terrace Marshall Jr. fits into his plans. And as of today, he’s still working on the blueprint.
“We are a group who is under construction right now,” Jefferson told ESPN’s David Newton. “We’re under construction. That means everybody. We’re under construction right now. We’re trying to get the offense implemented and everything like that. So right now, we’re in the building process. We’re in the land-clearing process of this phase here. We’re through clearing the land, we’re trying to plant the seeds on offense and trying to get this thing up.”
Not only are there a lot of new construction workers on the coaching staff, but there are also some new tools at their disposal. In addition to their sizable investment under center in quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers have surrounded the position with a handful of receivers including free agents Adam Thielen and DJ Chark as well as second-round selection Jonathan Mingo.
Jefferson, however, can still envision what the finished product will look like.
“We wanna be different,” he replied when asked about the versatility of his players. “We wanna go against the grain. We just don’t wanna be just stagnant where people can say, ‘Okay, we know what they’re gonna play here.’ I wanna move these guys around because I think it’s an advantage to us, and we’re all about putting stress on the defense.”
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Several of the Patriots’ offensive coordinator candidates could end up on the 2023 coaching staff.
The New England Patriots have been busy interviewing candidates for their offensive coordinator position, and it appears as though they want to have more than one offensive candidate on staff.
NBC Sports Boston’s Albert Breer floated this idea during his appearance on Sports Sunday. He indicated that Bill O’Brien is the “likely scenario” for the job based on his past history in New England.
The search for offensive coordinator has been a busy one, as New England has interviewed several candidates. All of the candidates have familiarity with Bill Belichick, having worked under him as players or coaches.
The thought is one of the candidates could join the fray alongside O’Brien as an offensive assistant. Of course, that’s assuming the Patriots even get O’Brien, who still isn’t necessarily a done deal.
“Bill O’Brien has talked to other teams. I know that,” said Breer. “He hasn’t formally interviewed with any of them, but if you look at the sort of structure of the interviews and the way that this has all happened, it feels at least like Bill O’Brien is going to be the offensive coordinator, and the other four guys could wind up on staff in some capacity: Adrian Klemm potentially as a run game coordinator/offensive line coach. Now, he’s not gonna come cheap. He’s making almost $1 million at Oregon right now. Shawn Jefferson potentially coming in as a receivers coach and on down the line.”
Are the Patriots a no-brainer for Bill O'Brien?@AlbertBreer & @GregABedard weigh in on Sports Sunday pic.twitter.com/PZTo33zeiT
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) January 23, 2023
The other two offensive coordinator candidates for New England right now is Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley and Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell.
New England has been trying to improve their offensive game planning, as the 2023 season could be a crucial one for several players. It will be fascinating to see how this pans out, as the Patriots look to get back into playoff contention.
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These are all of the candidates that have been interviewed or will be interviewed for the Patriots’ vacant offensive coordinator position.
The New England Patriots have officially started the process of hiring a new offensive coordinator.
It’s a process that appears to be moving along quickly with the team being more open with fans about their intent. Everything seemingly goes back to that letter to season ticket holders from ownership promising “critical evaluations” and change.
One of the obvious critiques has been the state of the offense with Matt Patricia calling the plays. The Patriots clearly need an experienced offensive play-caller to give their team a better chance of competing in 2023.
This decision could make or break the team considering they’re coming off a year where they had a top-10 defense. Even a mediocre offensive effort would have been good enough to get the Patriots into the playoffs. But they’re sitting at home watching the postseason unfold from their couches for the second time in three seasons.
The good news is change is indeed coming, and it all starts at the top on offense. Here are the offensive coordinator candidates that have been interviewed or will be interviewed by New England.
Jefferson’s tenure with the Cardinals is uncertain but could land a better job with the Patriots.
The Arizona Cardinals’ offensive staff is in flux after the firing of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. They will know their fate soon, once a new head coach is hired.
But one of the offensive coaches has an opportunity to get a promotion.
Shawn Jefferson, who has been the Cardinals’ wide receivers coach the last two seasons and earned the title of associate head coach a year ago, is interviewing for the vacant offensive coordinator position with the New England Patriots.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that Jefferson will interview for the job Friday.
The Patriots did not have anyone with the title of offensive coordinator in 2022. Matt Patricia called plays.
They are, though, seeking someone to fill the role.
Jefferson has been coaching in the NFL since 2006. He began with the Detroit Lions after his 13-year NFL career and has been a receiver coach since 2007, spending time with the Lions, Titans, Dolphins, Jets and Cardinals.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
The Patriots are set to interview another former Bill Belichick player for vacant offensive coordinator position.
The New England Patriots are set to interview Arizona Cardinals’ associate head coach and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson for their offensive coordinator job. According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, the interview is slated for Friday.
Jefferson has familiarity with Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization as a whole. He played in New England from 1996 through 1999, under the watchful eye of Bill Parcells.
Belichick was the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach under Parcells at the time. Both Belichick and Parcells went to the New York Jets after the 1996 season.
Jefferson adds to an offensive coordinator candidate list that keeps growing. The Patriots are also said to interview Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell and Oregon associate head coach and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm.
Tight ends coach Nick Caley is also in the mix for the position.
I'm told #Cardinals associate head coach & wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson is interviewing for the #Patriots OC job on Friday, per league source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 19, 2023
The Patriots are looking to bounce back after a difficult 2022 season. It appears they are doing their due diligence at offensive coordinator with the unit clearly needing a major overhaul.
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Van Jefferson’s dad, Cardinals WRs coach Shawn Jefferson, shared some words of wisdom on the field after Sunday’s game
Twice a year, Van Jefferson and his dad Shawn Jefferson compete – indirectly, of course. Shawn Jefferson is the Cardinals’ wide receivers coach, so each time the Rams face Arizona, Van gets to see his dad on the other sideline.
After Sunday’s game between the Rams and Cardinals, Jefferson and his dad shared an incredible moment on the field that was captured by “Hard Knocks.” Van was visibly upset after the loss, his third game back from injury, and his dad offered some words of encouragement to keep his head up.
“You played good, though. Stay in the fight,” Shawn told his son. Let’s go. Stay in the fight. That’s what it’s about. You gotta grind it out, right? Keep grinding. Keep grinding. You’ll be all right.”
One of a kind father-son moment in LA ❤️#HardKnocks In Season continues Wednesday at 8pm on @HBOMax pic.twitter.com/kmLSgyXnTD
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 15, 2022
Rams wide receivers coach Eric Yarber then came over and hugged Van, also telling him to keep battling.
“I love this dude, man,” Yarber said.
It truly was a great moment between a father and his son, both of whom are as competitive and passionate as anyone.
