OCTOBER 15: While Reich has discussed handing play-calling duties to Brown at some point, that responsbility will remain with Reich for now, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Carolina dropped a 42-24 decision to the Lions last week, but the stripped-down, streamlined offense that the club put in place to simplify matters for Young appeared to pay dividends, as the rookie passer threw for 247 yards and three TDs, both of which were season-high marks.
Interestingly, a source told Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com this week that some members of the Panthers organization approached Reich about the need to be more innovative on the offensive side of the ball, though it is unclear whether those conversations happened before or after Reich decided to simplify the playbook.
What is clear, as Rapoport observes, is that Reich’s future in Carolina is tied to Young’s success. So the HC will need to do whatever it takes to get this year’s No. 1 overall pick to begin living up to his potential.
OCTOBER 12: The NFL’s only 0-5 team, the Panthers are off to a worse start than the one that led to Matt Rhule‘s firing after five games last year. Carolina rallied under interim HC Steve Wilks, going 6-6 and having an unexpected opportunity to take the division lead in Week 17. A loss to the Buccaneers ended that, and the Panthers moved on from Wilks.
Frank Reich beat out Wilks for the HC job, but the two-time playoff-qualifying leader has now lost eight consecutive games dating back to his final stretch running the Colts. In addition to Reich, the Panthers paid up for high-profile assistants. They hired the likes of Ejiro Evero, who interviewed for all five HC jobs this offseason, and Thomas Brown — a Texans HC interviewee — as coordinators. Jim Caldwell, Josh McCown, Duce Staley and the Panthers’ first HC — Dom Capers — are also in place. But the team has not found its footing with Bryce Young at the helm.
Reich said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) David Tepper has not discussed staff changes with him just yet, though the new Panthers HC confirmed past rumors that the sixth-year owner is frequently involved with football operations.
“Some owners kind of stay away and don’t engage a whole lot. Other owners do. And his philosophy is he’s gonna engage,” Reich said, via Person (subscription required). “Listen, it’s only been a short experience, but it’s been a really good experience. … It hasn’t been fun. I wouldn’t characterize [weekly meetings with Tepper] as fun meetings. But those meetings make me better, and I trust they make us better.”
Meddlesome ownership obviously could sound alarm bells for Reich, who is coming off an eventful final year with perhaps the league’s most active owner (among those not holding GM titles as well). Jim Irsay began to spin back into high gear after the Colts lost as two-touchdown favorites to the then-downtrodden Jaguars to close out the 2021 season. Orders to trade Carson Wentz and then to trade for Matt Ryan emerged, and Irsay then insisted Reich bench Ryan for an unseasoned Sam Ehlinger. Irsay then fired Reich, despite extending him in 2021. The outspoken owner later said he reluctantly extended his five-year HC. The Jeff Saturday and Jonathan Taylor sagas proceeded post-Reich.
Tepper, who bought the team from Jerry Richardson in 2018, has developed a bit of a reputation on this front as well. Although subsequent reports indicated the Panthers came to an agreement on Young, a March report pointed to Tepper’s Young preference over an early coaches’ interest in C.J. Stroud. Before the 2022 season ended, Tepper was believed to be eyeing a move that solved the Panthers’ years-long QB woes. Carolina indeed swung big, trading D.J. Moore and several high-level draft choices for the No. 1 slot.
Tepper also played a lead role in past quarterback pursuits, namely the controversial one surrounding Deshaun Watson — a journey that began after Matthew Stafford nixed a trade to Carolina. Tepper eyed Watson before the dozens of masseuses accused the then-Texans QB of sexual misconduct, and the Panthers revisited trade talks — along with the Dolphins — ahead of the 2021 deadline. While Tepper joined his Saints and Falcons peers in being unwilling to authorize a $230MM guarantee, Watson had eliminated the Panthers earlier due to some uncertainty about their power structure. Months later, the Browns and Panthers haggled about Baker Mayfield‘s contract for months — despite Rhule and Scott Fitterer wanting him in the building early — before the sides closed the deal. A report surfaced around the time of Tepper’s about-face on Rhule that pegged the owner as “emotional” and difficult to work for.
That said, Reich was not in contention for another HC job this offseason and, at 61, the ex-Carolina QB may not have had many more chances as a lead candidate. His second HC opportunity has started quite poorly, with the Panthers holding a minus-53 point differential and lacking a first-round pick next year. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers proceed going forward, especially if the losing streak continues. The Panthers face the Dolphins in Week 6. Reich signed a four-year contract in January. Fitterer’s five-year GM deal runs through the 2025 season.
Not much point in staff changes. It’s a player talent issue with the defense and O Line banged up, a rookie QB, and just a bunch of #3 or even #4 WR’s with backup quality RB’s out there to make plays.
Only change Tepper should be thinking about is at GM. Fitterer has already swung and missed on almost everything.
The fact that he didn’t realize Sanders was a product of the Eagles O Line and passing game, is concerning all by itself.
Fitterer in my opinion was only ever meant to be a GM that served Tepper’s wishes. I don’t think that he was ever supposed to be an independent decision maker, alongside either Rhule or Reich. Rhule seemed to have had more independence than Reich does, and probably more than Fitterer does either. Ultimately, Tepper kept a tight leash on all of them. After all, Fitterer was hired from the John Schneider tree, where the GM is not the end all decision maker. Tepper is just still too hands-on for that.
I agree that Fitterer has underwhelmed in his limited time there, and I agree that a change could be positive. However, unless Tepper allows a different GM to function independently, it ultimately may not make as much of a difference as it should. So I’m not disagreeing with you, I just didn’t expect much different from Fitterer given the circumstances.
Nothing some more owner interference shouldn’t fix…
The Panthers are just going to need another offseason or two to add more talent. There really isn’t any other way around it. Reich and Evero both are in Year One of a rebuild with a ton of young players on the team. I don’t think any of us expected Young to have this many growing pains (to be honest, I felt at the time that Carolina forced that move), but I wouldn’t say that anyone thought that Carolina was going to be a great team this year either.
Reich and his staff may not end up turning the team around, but they are going to need time to do it if they do. Running through coaches is certainly not going to help create stability in a franchise that could really use it.
Wilks went 500 as the interim HC. Built a power running game and solid D. Naturally he wasn’t hired. Then they bring in a ‘QB whisperer’ Reich who has never done anything as a HC. Did Reich not have enough of Irasy interrupting the organization? Only to elect to go with another owner of the same mentality? And everyone whiffed on the QB. Enjoy many more years of losing Panthers fans. That’s what you’re going to have.
Wilks had a better offense to work with than Reich. The O Line was solid enough last year which was huge, they had DJ Moore, and Darnold was at least an experienced NFL QB. The defense was solid under Reich until the injuries started, and Tampa torched their injured defense under Wilks late last year as well.
The Wilks stretch was a disaster of a fluke. All they had to do was let Tank Commander Rhule drive and have Moore and CMC in place to help Young/Stroud/AR.
Do whatever it takes to get Jeudy for BY. I know they don’t have their own 2024 1st, but need to get creative and find help for BY asap. Jeudy would be a perfect guy for him.
It wouldn’t take a 1st to get Jeudy. A 2nd should do the trick.
Unfortunately you can’t trade for height and strength. BY was not worth, potentially, 2 first overall picks.
Reich is a terrible coach with a bit of an ego issue. He insists on calling plays, plays very vanilla, yet will go for it on 4th down, sometimes on his own side of the 50. His red zone, 3rd & 4th down percentages are below average. He only made the playoffs with Andrew Luck & Philip Rivers, who frequently audibles out of Frank’s plays.
I’m a Colts fan and was happy to see him move on.
Tepper isn’t a meddling owner like Irsay but he’s not a guy who is going to exhibit a lot of patience either. I think the Panthers will have a revolving door approach until they can stumble into a playoff berth.
Too bad they can’t fire the owner.
Fire Canada.
QB needs receiving help. Reich wanted Stroud and was overruled by Tepper. Owner Is becoming a buffon like Irsay. Give Reich at least 3 years to turn this around.
Yeah, changing a staff six games through your highly drafted QB’s rookie season doesn’t exactly scream consistency.
Whatever we think of Reich, Young is still learning how to play football at a professional level. If Reich-or whomever-is going to have a chance to turn things around, it won’t be in a single season (that hasn’t even ended yet). This is especially true after the team traded away (CMC, Moore) or didn’t re-sign (Foreman) what few plus performers that they had on offense.