Play-caller
- Calls plays: Brad Idzik (OC) — confirmed. HC Dave Canales, who called plays in 2024–2025, handed play-calling to Idzik for 2026 (Panthers.com, 2026-02-24; ESPN, Feb 2026). First-time NFL play-caller (only preseason games previously) → coaching-change protocol (methodology §9) applies.
- Tenure with team: 3rd year as CAR OC (2024–), age 34; came with Canales from Tampa Bay. Prior relationship with QB1: 2 years as Young's OC; described by Canales as the "primary architect" of the offense (Panthers.com, 2026-02-24). Darrell Bevell added as assistant HC/offensive specialist and Carl Smith as senior consultant to support the transition (Panthers.com/NBC Sports, Feb 2026).
Last 3 play-calling stops — Idzik has none; per §9 the weak prior is his tree: Canales' system, whose CAR stats below are the baseline Idzik co-built (skip non-calling years):
| Stop (team, yrs) | PROE | Neutral pass% | Sec/play (neutral) | Motion% | PA% | 11 / 12 / 21% | Condensed% | RB tgt share | WR1 TS | Inside-10 pass% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (tree prior) Canales CAR 2025 | 28th of 32 (5th-lowest; exact value UNVERIFIED) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED (61.2 plays/gm = bottom-third volume) | 34.5% (FTN is_motion, all plays) | 21.4% (of pass plays, FTN) | 55.5 / 17.5 / 2.0% (13: 7.3%, 22+23: 7.2%) | UNVERIFIED | 19.2% (92 of ~480 tgts) | 25.4% (McMillan) | UNVERIFIED |
| (tree prior) Canales CAR 2024 | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
| (tree prior) Canales TB 2023 | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
Sources: 2025 row from data/stats/2025/pbp_summary.csv, participation.csv + ftn_charting.csv join, receiving.csv (nflverse, pulled 2026-07-07); PROE rank from DraftSharks/statrankings 2025 PROE reporting (as-of 2026-07-07).
Read: Expect continuity of the Canales system Idzik co-authored — run-tilted (bottom-5 PROE), slow-volume (61 plays/gm), heavy-personnel-friendly (12/13/21/22 combined ~32%), with a moderate play-action rate — but every tendency is low-confidence because Idzik has never called a regular-season game. Per §9 expect a first-year install drag (slower pace, conservative scripts early, drifting toward true tendencies by midseason), and treat any 2025 manufactured/schemed roles as void until re-established. The roster nudge is upward on pass rate: Young is entering year 4 off a career year, McMillan/Coker are ascending, and the FA additions (Metchie) are pass-catchers.
Scheme family
- Run scheme: outside-zone/duo mix from the Canales Seattle/Tampa lineage, with heavy-personnel (12/13/21/22 ~32% combined in 2025, participation.csv) downhill elements — fits one-cut zone runners (Hubbard's profile) and satellite space backs (Brooks); AJ Dillon imported for the short-yardage/duo role.
- Pass-game family: West Coast timing base with Shanahan-adjacent play-action/boundary shot elements (Canales tree; Idzik retained). Implications: mid aDOT, PA-fed intermediate work for the X (McMillan), modest slot volume in a 55% 11-personnel offense — WR3/slot snaps are gated by the heavy-personnel usage, so the slot job is real but not high-volume.
