The Carolina Panthers concluded the 2024 season, Dave Canales’s first year as head coach, with a 5-12 record and three more wins than last season. While Bryce Young and the offense showed flashes, Carolina’s defense was a different story as they struggled tremendously and ranked near the bottom in virtually every major category, including points, yards, passing, rushing, and sacks, ranking 32nd in points, yards, and rushing, 23rd in passing, and T-30th in sacks in 2024. Despite their defensive struggles, the Panthers will retain Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator for the 2025 season.
The Carolina Panthers defense struggled because their elite defensive lineman missed all but one game
Panthers’ elite one-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown suffered a significant meniscus injury at some point during Week 1, even though he managed to play 60 out of 66 defensive snaps. Tests determined that he suffered a torn meniscus, and team doctors had to decide whether for him to undergo a meniscus trim, which would cause him to miss some time, or the full repair, a season-ending procedure. Ultimately, team doctors decided to go with the latter, and Brown missed the final 16 games of the regular season. His absence negatively impacted the defense because he’s an elite run defender, a solid pass rusher for his size, and his ability to draw double-team blocks.
Also Read: Carolina Panthers: Fear That Their Elite 1-Time Pro Bowler Suffered a Devastating Injury
Panthers’ elite defensive lineman reveals his target return date for the 2025 offseason
During Monday’s press conference, Derrick Brown told the media that he hopes to return to practice just in time for the start of voluntarily organized team activities (OTAs). Per the CBA, the earliest the Panthers can begin OTAs is April 21 since Dave Canales is a returning head coach. Here’s what Brown had to say about his recovery and his target return date for the 2025 offseason:
“I’m good, you know. I’m halfway through the process of coming back, so I hope to be back by OTAs,” Brown said via Darin Gantt of the team’s website. “Being here every single day with the training room staff has been good for me. I haven’t really had a mental break with my kids. just getting to do things that I don’t normally get to do. I do a pick up and drop off and going to class parties, so we did a lot of things this year that I may not get a chance to do for a while.”
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