Carolina Panthers are stuck in a never-ending world of suck
The Carolina Panthers, for the second-straight season, have fired a head coach. This is a franchise stuck in a never-ending world of suck. Panthers' owner David Tepper has quickly established himself as one of the most unstable owners in football. He seems to be a bit too emotionally-driven with his decisions.
His most recent decision was to fire head coach Frank Reich after the team's 1-10 start to the 2023 NFL Season. It was a decision that was probably necessary, but does point to deeper issues with the team that don't seem to be getting better anytime soon. The team fired Matt Rhule in 2022, and interim coach Steve Wilks led them to a 6-6 finish.
Many people within the Carolina Panthers sphere were calling for them to keep Wilks as the permanent head coach, but they decided to go with Frank Reich, who, to be fair, did bring over some good coaches. I know for a fact that myself and many of my fellow NFL junkies who I connect with frequently mostly felt like the Panthers hit a homerun with their staff.
However, to say that it hasn't worked would be a huge understatement. Now without direction, the Panthers are left with a horrid offensive personnel situation, an undersized QB who hasn't shown much at all, and no first-round pick. To make matters worse, the Panthers first-round pick in 2024 is currently slated to be the first overall pick
And that pick belongs to the Chicago Bears. Carolina traded a haul of players and picks to be able to trade up to the #1 spot in 2022 to take Young, and that return on investment has been virtually nothing thus far. With how bad their personnel situation is, David Tepper is also a very hands-on owner, who may be too hands-on.
With him quickly firing Reich when he did, and the fact that the Panthers have been pretty awful during his tenure as the owner, what kind of candidate would even want to come coach there? That candidate could be walking on thin ice knowing that if there isn't some semblance of year one success, they could get the axe.
It's an unfortunate situation for Panthers fans, who deserve a lot better. Right now, the Carolina Panthers are in no-man's land. It's bad, and I'm not sure it's getting better anytime soon.