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Panthers’ Steve Wilks could push past interim tag
Panthers' Steve Wilks could push past interim tag,The Panthers are far from perfect, but Wilks is making a case for him to transition from interim to full-time.

Panthers’ Steve Wilks could push past interim tag

The Carolina Panthers might not have to look far to find their next head coach.

Defensive coach-turned-interim head coach Steve Wilks is outperforming expectations in Carolina, navigating the Panthers to a 2-3 record in the five games he’s watched over the sidelines. 

The key part to that record is that two of these wins came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. If wideout D.J. Moore doesn’t get flagged for removing his helmet on a Hail Mary touchdown celebration, it’s very possible the team sweeps the Falcons and Wilks is sitting at 3-2. 

The Panthers winning under Wilks will have implications for the 2023 NFL Draft. 

An unintended consequence in the next coaching cycle could be Carolina picking lower in the draft and not being quite as attractive an opening as a team that has a better chance of snagging a franchise quarterback.

However, Wilks has steadied the Panthers after Carolina fired Matt Rhule in October. The team is far from perfect, but the longtime defensive coordinator is making a case for him to transition from interim to full-time. 

Wilks got the short end of the stick in Arizona in 2018, a one-and-done hire that never really got the chance to prove his worth on a Cardinals team that struggled after drafting quarterback Josh Rosen with a high first-round pick. 

Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson says that Wilks’ “Win the Day” message is resonating in Carolina’s locker room. 

“You’ve got to live like that, and that’s how Steve lives here,” Thompson said, via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. “We can’t let what happens [in the team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals] affect this week. So win the day. Win meetings, win practice, win more meetings. That’s how I take it, and how a lot of people in here take it.”

With Wilks making inroads in Carolina’s locker room and finding unexpected success on the field, his job with the Panthers could become more permanent after the season ends.