Dave Canales handing play-calling duties to Panthers OC Brad Idzik

INDIANAPOLIS — Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales is handing over play calling to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, Canales said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Canales had one year of play-calling experience — with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 — when he was hired in Carolina in 2024. He had been resistant to ceding that responsibility during his first two seasons with the Panthers whenever the topic was broached.

At his end-of-season news conference in January, Canales said he planned to retain play-calling responsibilities “right now,” but added he and his staff were always looking for ways to improve.

Canales wanted to make sure the offense was progressing and advancing as he believed it should and wanted to streamline his game management. The move allows Canales to be more available to interact with officials and the team’s defensive players and coaches.

The Panthers finished 27th in total offense and scoring offense (18.3 ppg) last season, after ranking 29th in total offense and 23rd in scoring offense (20.1 ppg) in Canales’ first season.

The recent hiring of former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was an indicator that changes were likely coming. Canales and Bevell were together seven seasons on Pete Carroll’s staff in Seattle, where Bevell was the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks’ back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014.

Bevell is expected to have a major role in Carolina’s offense and can serve as a sounding board for Idzik.

Idzik has served as the primary designer of the Panthers’ offense since following Canales from Seattle to Tampa to Charlotte. But the 34-year-old has never called plays in a regular-season game, although Canales allowed him to handle those duties in preseason games the past two years.