Carolina Panthers to hire Chris Tabor as their special teams coordinator

Panthers coach Matt Rhule has filled one of his three remaining assistant coach vacancies.

Carolina will hire Chris Tabor as its new special teams coordinator, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Tabor brings 14 years of NFL special teams coaching experience to the Panthers. He spent the past four years with the Bears where he had a returner make the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons.

The Bears ranked ninth in Rick Gosselin’s annual special-teams rankings, which ranks all 32 teams in 22 special team categories and composites an overall ranking.

In 2019 and 2020, Chicago led the NFL in kick-return average and total yards. Tabor coached an aggressive return unit led by playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson during those seasons before Patterson left for Atlanta last offseason.

Chicago experienced consistency at kicker over the past few seasons as well. This past year, the Bears ranked seventh in made field-goal percentage. In 2020, Chicago kicker Cairo Santos made 27 consecutive kicks, setting franchise records in both consecutive single-season makes and overall consecutive makes spanning multiple seasons.

The Panthers would be wise to bring kicker Zane Gonzalez back to pair with Tabor. Gonzalez was the Panthers’ most consistent player, especially on special teams. He connected on 20 of 22 field-goal attempts, including his last 17 tries. He was also 22 of 23 on extra-point attempts.

Rhule fired former special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, who was the special teams coordinator for the Panthers since 2018, before Rhule became head coach. He was assistant special teams coach for two years prior to that and previously played two seasons at linebacker for the Panthers.

Carolina ranked 28th in Gosselin’s special team rankings after cycling through three different kickers and punters in an up-and-down season. Rhule fired Blackburn at the end of the season and conducted several interviews with potential candidates before offering the job to Tabor.