Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera's hunch about his defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, was correct.
Wilks' time is now.
He was announced Monday as the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, a source told the Observer.
A team source told the Observer on Monday that seven-year Panthers defensive line coach Eric Washington will become Carolina's defensive coordinator.
Washington was not under contract after the 2017 season. Two weeks ago, a deal was constructed by Panthers chief operating officer Tina Becker and interim general manager Marty Hurney to keep him in place. A source familiar with the deal said the two worked hard to keep Washington from leaving.
The Panthers recently extended Rivera through the 2020 season. Rivera fired five-year offensive coordinator Mike Shula earlier this month, replacing him with Norv Turner.
