Panthers, Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady Part Ways

CHARLOTTE, NC — The Carolina Panthers and offensive coordinator Joe Brady are parting ways, the team said Sunday.

Brady met with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule during their bye week Sunday morning with the Panthers (5-7) making the announcement following the meeting.

Brady was in his second year as offensive coordinator and leaves the position with five games left in the season.

"I met with Joe this morning and informed him that I have decided to make a change," Rhule said in a statement on the team's website. "I'm very grateful to him for his time and effort in helping us get established over this past year and a half."

Senior offensive assistant Jeff Nixon will take the helm of the offense "in conjunction with the remainder of the offensive coaching staff," for the final five games of the season, the team announced.

The Panthers are averaging 308.7 yards per game, 28th in the NFL, and 19.7 points per game, good for 23rd in the league. In Brady's nearly two seasons, the Panthers have struggled to find consistency at quarterback, with journeyman Teddy Bridgewater starting 15 games in 2020 and Sam Darnold, PJ Walker and Cam Newton making starts in 2021.

Darnold started the season hot, averaging 296 passing yards and two total touchdowns per game in the first three games in leading the Panthers to a 3-0 start. He cooled off after that and was benched after a Week 9 loss to New England that dropped Carolina to 4-5. In the three games since, the Panthers turned to PJ Walker to start in Week 10 and signed franchise icon Cam Newton off the street.

Prior to joining the Panthers, Brady helped LSU win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship as co-offensive coordinator. Under Brady, the Tigers put together one of the most prolific offensive seasons in college football history, averaging 48.4 points per game and helping quarterback Joe Burrow, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, win the Heisman Trophy.