On January 25, 2024, the Carolina Panthers hired Dave Canales, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, as head coach. He is anticipated to bring along his longtime right hand man, Brad Idzik, as the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator.
The Atlanta Falcons hired Raheem Morris, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Falcons interim head coach, and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator, as their next head coach on the same day. He hired Zac Robinson, the former Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, Pete Carmichael Jr., the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator, earned the league’s longest tenure. Carmichael had been with the team in that capacity since their 2009 Super Bowl victory (15 years!). Dennis Allen shuffled him off the deck, like so many deck chairs on the Titanic, at the end of the 2023 season. The Saints are still interviewing prospects to replace Carmichael.
The Bucs, whose supporters appear to be dissatisfied with Canales’ departure after just one season, are also currently examining prospects. Their hunt has included Alex Van Pelt, Ken Dorsey, Jerrod Johnson, and Antwaan Randle El.
Surprisingly, the Panthers have one of the most appealing employment openings in the division. Idizk is a near-lock for the position, but the Panthers can cast a broader net if they want to. So far, they have only interviewed Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach Will Harriger and former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator (under Frank Reich) Marcus Brady as potential options.
But compare them to the Bucs, where Todd Bowles is on the hot seat despite winning three consecutive division titles, and the Saints, where Dennis Allen is on the hot seat after missing the playoffs for two years. The Falcons job, as previously said, has already been filled. The Panthers have an open position, a young quarterback, and a head coach with possibly the longest leash in the division. Not to mention a very easy trip to the playoffs in a division rife with unrest and past failure.
Yes, there are questions about Young and the team’s practically criminal lack of draft capital, but we’re comparing the job to comparable coordinator jobs in the NFC South, not throughout the league.
That argument, of course, will be moot approximately thirty minutes after I publish this. Expect a speedy announcement regarding Idzik’s employment.
After that, we may speculate on what a whole new NFC South—featuring four new, possibly first-time, offensive coordinators—will look like by 2024.
Leave a Reply