The Carolina Panthers have reached a much-needed bye week this week to hopefully get healthier after a 2-2 start to the season and are riding high after a massive primetime win over the Detroit Lions.

Head coach Dave Canales has to feel good about where his team stands after the first four weeks of the season, and getting some players back from injury after the bye week would be huge to continue stacking wins.

A big part of the team’s success through the first four games as been on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Bryce Young is playing at an MVP-caliber level and still leads the league in passing yards after the first month of the season. But, the success hasn’t just come from the shoulders of their rising quarterback.

Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik has had a lot of success through his first four games calling plays

Going into this season, Canales made the decision to hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik so that he could take a more rounded approach as the leader for this team. Idzik has been with Canales throughout his entire tenure with the Panthers and so far this has looked like a fantastic decision.

Idzik has been more aggressive as a play-caller and the results have looked promising in the passing game. It took a few weeks to get the run game going and have a more balanced attack, but it’s something the Panthers finally achieved on Sunday against the Lions after rushing for 127 yards.

“Really, he just does a good job as far as putting everybody in the right positions,” WR Tetairoa McMillan said. “He gives a chance to everybody across the board. He gives everybody a chance and an opportunity at the ball. And he’s good at communicating throughout the week. Just to see what everybody is feeling, see what we like, what Bryce likes. He likes to communicate in that way as far as getting our opinions. He’s humble in that way as far as just asking everybody for their opinions.”

The biggest impact has been the growth Young has taken in this offense under Idzik’s play-calling. This is a big year for Young to prove he’s worthy of a second contract and capable of being this team’s franchise quarterback. After leaving his most recent game with a showering of “M-V-P” chants, there’s no question Young can be the guy and Idzik has been the one that’s helped instill that confidence.

“Being with Brad’s been great,” Young said on the Pat McAfee Show. “He’s been huge this whole time here, all three years he’s been behind the scenes. Him now calling it, his feel, and his collaboration has been great too. He wants my input, he wants all of our input… and it shows up on Sunday’s. It’s been great… I’m excited for us to keep building.”

Could Brad Idzik’s days in Carolina be numbered as a result of his success as a play-caller?

While the success the Panthers have had on offense has been a welcomed sight with Idzik calling the plays, there’s a concern brewing that those days could be numbered as a result of the success that he’s having in this role and elevating these players.

The league has certainly taken notice as teams start to build potential candidate lists for the next head coaching cycle. If Idzik’s success in Carolina continues, he might find his name on the interview list for a few teams looking for a rising offensive mind.

“What Carolina offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is doing with Bryce Young will be hard to ignore,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “The Panthers have jumped from 26th to first in passing offense. He has Young playing fast and with confidence. That will get noticed by front offices and owners.”

The one thing going in Carolina’s favor in hopes of retaining Idzik after the 2026 season is that teams rarely hire a candidate after one year as a primary play-caller, especially on offense. The two most recent hires that fit that description were Liam Coen in Jacksonville and Canales in Carolina. The other thing that could deter teams from Idzik compared to other candidates is that Idzik has still had a lot of support internally, even if he’s the primary play-caller.

Canales still has a say in what happens on offense as the head coach and the Panthers also have Darrell Bevell on staff helping with the offense. Personally, I don’t see teams being that interested in Idzik in next year’s cycle after one year calling plays, even if these kind of results continue throughout the rest of the season. Things could easily change in future cycles, though, if the Panthers’ offense remains this hot with Young at quarterback.