Report: Carolina Panthers hiring Darrell Bevell as associate head coach, offensive specialist

Darrell Bevell has his next gig in the NFL. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the longtime assistant coach is joining the Carolina Panthers. 

He’ll serve as the associate head coach, as well as an offensive specialist in Carolina. Head coach Dave Canales is hoping Bevell aids the Panthers in taking the next step on offense.

Bevell had been with the Miami Dolphins since 2022 before joining Carolina. He was their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, but he moved on after Mike McDaniel’s firing.

In the past, he’s served as an offensive coordinator for numerous teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. As you can tell, he’s bringing a wealth of experience to Carolina.

Whether it works out or not remains to be seen. Regardless, the Panthers are pulling out all the stops to ensure that their division-winning season in 2025 wasn’t a fluke. 

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Meanwhile, Bevell will be working with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in Carolina, after he won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award for the Panthers. He beat out four other finalists for the award.

McMillan, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson and New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough were all up for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The winner was announced at last Thursday’s NFL Honors ceremony.

McMillan received 445 points, including 41 first place votes, while Shough was second with 168 points and five first-place votes. The Panthers selected McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona, where he put up strong numbers for the Wildcats. 

McMillan totaled 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns as Carolina returned to the postseason. The Panthers won the NFC South with an 8-9 overall record before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in a Wild Card Round thriller.

Prior to his arrival at Carolina, McMillan had three impressive seasons at Arizona. As a junior in 2024, he had 84 receptions for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns to become an All-American. That followed a sophomore season in 2024 when he set career-highs with 90 receptions, 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns.

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.