Former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has found a new team

Ejiro Evero has found a new home and will continue his coaching career in the NFC after just one season with the Denver Broncos.

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just hours after being allowed out of his contract with the Broncos, Ejiro Evero has agreed to become the new defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. He will join the staff run by new head coach Frank Reich.

Evero was a top candidate for many jobs around the league and he had interviewed for the head coaching job with both the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, the two teams that still have a vacancy. The fact that he took this job before new head coaches were hired there says he probably knew he wasn’t getting those jobs.

But he apparently wasn’t really keen on the idea of staying in Denver either. That, or Sean Payton didn’t see him as the best fit for the future of the team. Either way, the Broncos chose to move on from the young defensive coach.

The Broncos will now need to focus on who will lead their defense under Payton with Kris Richard, Sean Desai and Brian Flores all being names to keep an eye on. It is being reported that Flores has received a second interview with the Cardinals for their head coach spot, so that could take him out of the running.

Evero came to Denver as part of Nathaniel Hackett’s staff after serving as secondary coach of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams the year before. He had the Broncos playing as well as any defensive unit in the league at one time this season.

When Hackett was fired, Evero was offered the interim coach job but he turned it down, forcing the Broncos to turn to Jerry Rosburg. Evero is quite close with Hackett and that was likely a factor in that decision.

Evero will take over a Panthers unit that ranked No. 22 in total defense this past season.