David Tepper

Panthers HC Frank Reich, GM Scott Fitterer On Hot Seat

November 18th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, the Panthers fired Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start. Interim HC Steve Wilks then led the team to a 6-6 finish that left it still in the NFC South race until Week 17. Despite many of the same cornerstone players in place, Carolina’s 2023 edition has the NFL’s worst record.

Trading up significant assets to secure Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, the Panthers were never viewed as a team that would truly contend this season. But their disappointing first half has many around the league wondering if David Tepper will bail on the power structure he signed off on in January. One member of Carolina’s power duo may be on a hotter seat than the other, but both Frank Reich and GM Scott Fitterer do not appear certain to retain their jobs beyond this season.

Many around the NFL are eyeing this situation, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora noting there is a strong sense Reich will become a one-and-done. Even within the Panthers’ building, La Canfora adds the belief is jobs are on the line going into the season’s second half. This would be a stunning flip-flop from ownership — especially after Rhule went from receiving a seven-year contract to being canned after Week 5 of his third season — but Tepper has not exactly gained a reputation for stability during his early years running the NFC South team. Indeed, Tepper’s reputation is driving the speculation Reich will be canned after just one season, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline adds.

Tepper is believed to be irked by Young’s performance thus far, an NFL personnel exec informed La Canfora while adding the sixth-year owner drove the bus for the Alabama prospect. When the Panthers obtained the No. 1 overall pick, rumors of Reich preferring C.J. Stroud surfaced. Those steadily faded, as Young won the organization over despite his slight frame. The Panthers have seen Stroud hit the ground running with the Texans, and despite Carolina’s only win coming over Houston, the team has taken significant steps back compared to how it finished in 2022.

Among qualified passers, Young ranks only ahead of Ryan Tannehill in QBR this season. The former Heisman winner sits last in yards per attempt — at just 5.4 — and has thrown eight touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions. Young’s struggles should probably have been expected, given Carolina’s skill-position deficiencies. The team gave Miles Sanders the top RB contract in free agency; Chuba Hubbard has since leapfrogged the ex-Eagle for the starting role. Adam Thielen has gone from Vikings cap casualty to the Panthers’ No. 1 target, in his age-33 season. Thielen has been productive in Carolina; no one else in this skill group has. Neither DJ Chark nor Hayden Hurst — the latter receiving the top tight end deal this offseason — has topped 230 receiving yards this year.

After pointing to Thomas Brown being in consideration to call plays this offseason, Reich handed the duties off during the team’s bye week. Three games in, Reich took back the reins from the young OC. The Panthers did not top 15 points in a game during Brown’s short run calling the shots, and while the veteran HC said this about-face is not indicative of Brown’s long-term future, the quick change was certainly notable.

Reich beat out Wilks for the Panthers’ top job, with Tepper preferring an offense-oriented HC. The five-year Colts leader is the Panthers’ first offense-geared sideline boss. Well respected, Reich being fired from two HC jobs in two years would undoubtedly drop him back to the coordinator tier moving forward. Reich, 61, did pull back the curtain a bit on Tepper’s style earlier this season by pointing to the owner being heavily involved in football operations via the two’s weekly meetings. After the experience Reich had with Jim Irsay in Indianapolis, this is familiar territory.

But Reich may also not be the likeliest Panthers power broker to go. Fitterer should not be expected to weather this storm, according to Pauline. Fitterer arrived in 2021 to work with Rhule, following a successful tenure as a Seahawks exec, and was left in power ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. The veteran staffer pulled the trigger on a Christian McCaffrey trade, giving the Panthers four draft choices, but did not accept a Rams offer of two first-rounders for Brian Burns. The young defensive end was not believed to have drawn similar interest at this year’s deadline, which came after the Panthers could not extend him this offseason. A franchise tag is now expected for Burns, but it is far from certain Tepper will have Fitterer making that call.

Some members of the Panthers’ organization do not believe this is a well-assembled roster, and the team’s 1-8 record supports that. Despite being in a seller’s position, the Panthers pursued wide receivers — months after trading longtime No. 1 target D.J. Moore — at the deadline. Fitterer, who took a backseat to Rhule, has final say over Carolina’s 53-man roster. The Panthers lost to a Bears team missing Justin Fields; Carolina being in position to potentially hand over the 2024 No. 1 pick to Chicago would present difficult optics for Fitterer, who received a vote of confidence from Tepper after the Rhule firing.

Tepper firing Reich after one season would not make this a particularly attractive job, though the owner’s past authorizing big contracts for HCs and paying top dollar for assistants will help. This will be a situation to monitor during the season’s second half.

Panthers Pursued WRs Davante Adams And Tee Higgins, DE Montez Sweat At Deadline

November 12th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Rory Parks

Despite a win-loss record that placed them squarely in the “sellers” category, we heard in the run-up to last month’s trade deadline that the Panthers were operating as both buyers and sellers. We also heard that Carolina was especially interested in acquiring a top-flight wide receiver, and to that end, David Newton of ESPN.com reports that the team pursued both the Raiders’ Davante Adams and the Bengals’ Tee Higgins, though neither club was willing to make a deal. Newton adds that GM Scott Fitterer also tried to acquire DE Montez Sweat, whom the Commanders ultimately traded to the Bears.

The early struggles of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, have created plenty of concern among the Panthers’ fanbase, especially since No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud is playing at a high level for the Texans and since Carolina paid such a premium for the privilege to climb up the draft board to select Young. However, Newton writes that head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer still believe their plan to trade high-end draft capital — including their 2024 first-round pick — and top receiver D.J. Moore was a sound one that will pay dividends in the future. Likewise, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) says that the organization is still unified in the belief that Young is the long-term answer at quarterback.

In order to get the most out of Young, the Panthers understand that they need to give him more playmakers, which is why they pursued Adams and Higgins (they were not alone in that regard, as the Jets made a play for both receivers as well). Adams’ career accomplishments, which include six Pro Bowl nods and three First Team All-Pro selections, dwarf those of Higgins, who has not yet made a Pro Bowl. Nonetheless, Higgins is six years younger than Adams, is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and clearly has WR1 upside.

While Adams is under club control through 2026, Higgins is due to be a free agent at season’s end. If they had acquired the Clemson product, the Panthers would have needed to sign him to an extension or put the franchise tag on him, so his contract situation would have been a priority agenda item alongside a new deal (or franchise tag) for edge rusher Brian Burns. According to Newton, Carolina retained Burns through a second consecutive deadline in which he generated plenty of trade interest because the team views him and Young as foundational pieces of a future contender. Though the Panthers are presently without a 2024 first-rounder, they do have $42MM in projected cap space next season along with six other draft picks, and the plan is to turn those assets into talent to complement Burns and Young.

The latest reporting on the matter suggests that Burns and the Panthers are not actively engaged in contract talks, and Newton confirms prior reports that the two sides were far apart when negotiations stopped in December. If player and team cannot come to terms, Burns will be hit with the franchise tag, according to Newton.

If Fitterer were successful in his pursuit of Sweat, he certainly would have had a dynamic pair of pass rushers to headline his defense. However, Sweat was also in a contract year at the time of his trade and signed a lucrative extension shortly after arriving in Chicago, so the Panthers would have needed to authorize a similar contract for Sweat or quickly close the gap with Burns in order to assure themselves of the chance to retain both players.

As it stands, Fitterer & Co. will be able to focus most of their early offseason efforts on Burns’ new deal — if Fitterer is still around, that is. Per Russini, there are some members of the organization that believe the roster has not been assembled correctly, and owner David Tepper is frustrated by a Reich-orchestrated offense that league sources have described as “boring,” “predictable,” and “lifeless.” Reich, of course, was hired by Fitterer, and Russini says the “message in the building” is that ownership needs to see offensive improvement in the second half of the season.

If that does not happen, then Russini expects changes to be made. It is unclear if that simply means a shake-up to Reich’s offensive staff, or if Reich himself could be in jeopardy. It is fair to wonder whether Fitterer might also be on the hot seat, though ownership apparently is satisfied with how the defense and special teams units are performing.

Panthers Not Considering Staff Changes; Frank Reich To Remain Play-Caller

October 15th, 2023 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Latest On Panthers’ Plans For No. 1 Pick

March 25th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers are likely keeping the No. 1 pick and they’re likely using that selection on a signal-caller. Beyond that, their plan is up in the air. Naturally, the organization is doing their due diligence on the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

The organization had dinner with Alabama QB Bryce Young earlier this week, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Kentucky QB Will Levis also dined with a Panthers contingent that included owners David and Nicole Tepper, general manager Scott Fitterer, head coach Frank Reich, assistant GM Dan Morgan, VP Samir Suleiman, and coaches Jim Caldwell, Thomas Brown, and Josh McCown, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (on Twitter). And, unsurprisingly, the Panthers will use one of their 30 prospect visits on Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter.

According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, several team executives believe Tepper is leaning towards Young. However, if the decision was up to several coaches, Stroud would likely be the pick at No. 1. While the front office will surely factor in all of these opinions before the draft, they’ll also be leaning on Caldwell, the team’s new senior assistant. A source said the former coach and QB guru has “a huge voice in this process” and “might have even more say than the head coach.” Ultimately, one rival official believes the decision will ultimately be made by Tepper.

“The owner is going to win that one if he falls in love with one of these kids,” the source told La Canfora. “He’s seen enough misevaluations of the position already.”

After the Panthers sacrificed a pair of firsts, a pair of seconds, and wideout D.J. Moore for the first-overall pick, some pundits have wondered if Carolina could look to flip the pick again. “No one is buying” that the Panthers would consider trading the pick, according to La Canfora, with the reporter citing Tepper’s desire “to get to this point.” Indeed, Fitterer confirmed to Joseph Person of The Athletic that the organization hasn’t received any calls about the top selection (Twitter link).

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Lombardi, Bucs

February 24th, 2023 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drawing a few negative headlines during his five-year run as Panthers owner, David Tepper has seen his team continue a years-long search for a quality quarterback. Carolina will be at it again this offseason. Although Tepper’s multi-offseason push for Deshaun Watson stalled near the end zone, the Panthers came close to acquiring Matthew Stafford in 2021. After negotiations with Lions GM Brad Holmes, team brass left the Senior Bowl convinced it would land the longtime Detroit QB. The Rams subsequently swooped in, and Joe Person of The Athletic notes Tepper mandated his staff slow down on Stafford due to wanting more information on his injury history (subscription required).

At that point, Stafford had only missed games in one of the previous 10 seasons. Though, the rocket-armed QB had played through a host of injuries during his 12-year Lions run. This delay, however, helped allow the Rams time to formulate a trade package that ended up sending the talented QB to Los Angeles and Jared Goff to Detroit. This could have been a moot point, with Stafford indicating he did not want to play for the Panthers, but Carolina did offer its first-round pick (No. 8 overall) and more for a passer without a no-trade clause. The Panthers sent three picks for Sam Darnold soon after. Darnold is a few weeks from free agency.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

Frank Reich has praised Tepper for his willingness to spend for assistant coach talent. This included what looks to have become a defensive coordinator bidding war. Shortly after the Broncos let Ejiro Evero out of his contract, the hot HC candidate drew interest from the Panthers and Vikings. Carolina outbid Minnesota to land the defensive coordinator, Person adds. The Panthers have also added ex-HCs Jim Caldwell and Dom Capers, along with Josh McCown, to Reich’s staff.
Broncos ownership could also outmuscle teams for assistants. It is not known what kind of interest Joe Lombardi drew, but the new Denver assistant also drew interest from the Saints, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets. The two-year Chargers OC spent 12 years under Payton in New Orleans. The Saints are keeping Broncos OC candidate Ronald Curry on staff as QBs coach, but they were unable to lure Lombardi back to town. Lombardi is set for a coordinator-type role in Denver.
The Buccaneers will fill their quarterbacks coach post by promoting former NFL passer Thad Lewis, in news reported by Seahawks QB Geno Smith (Twitter link). Lewis and Smith played against each other as Miami high schoolers and have remained close; the free agent-to-be clarified (via Twitter) this was the reason — not a sudden interest in joining the Bucs — for his excitement. The Bucs employed Lewis as their assistant wide receivers coach over the past two years, with the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud adding Bruce Arians had visions of Lewis as a future offensive coordinator (Twitter link). Smith and the Seahawks have begun negotiations.
Tampa Bay hired Dave Canales as OC, from Seattle’s staff, to help fix its league-worst rushing attack. Leonard Fournette did not make the same impact he had in 2021. While the Bucs signed Fournette to a three-year, $21MM deal in March 2022, the running back has changed agents (Twitter link). The seventh-year running back is now with GSE Worldwide.
North Carolina’s tight ends coach, John Lilly will be making an NFL move in the same state. The Panthers will keep Lilly in North Carolina, bringing him in to coach their tight ends, Person tweets. Lilly, who worked on the 2019 Browns’ staff, overlapped at Georgia with new Panthers OC Thomas Brown in 2015. He has 30-plus years’ experience at the college and pro levels.
Former Colts staffer Brian Decker will follow Frank Reich to Carolina. The Panthers announced Decker is now the team’s vice president of development, a role Darin Gantt of Panthers.com notes will involve evaluating and developing players and coaches. A 22-year military veteran, Decker joined the Colts in 2017 and was in on the interviews that produced Reich’s hire.

Panthers’ HC Hire Comes With Some Potential Controversy

January 26th, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Carolina broke the seal on head coaching hires this offseason when it announced the decision to hire former Colts head coach Frank Reich today to officially replace Matt Rhule, spurning interim head coach Steve Wilks in the process. A closer look at the Panthers’ recent hires, though, may bring us back to an issue the NFL has been struggling to fight in recent years, and may lead Carolina into pending litigation against the NFL and multiple other teams, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

On January 8, nearly three weeks ago and a mere two hours after the Panthers’ regular season had come to a close, Reich’s daughter, Hannah Reich Fairman, announced that she had officially accepted a job with Carolina on Twitter. On its face, there’s nothing wrong with Fairman’s hiring. Even in a league rife with nepotism, the personnel addition couldn’t even be considered as such as Reich didn’t yet work for the Panthers.

Wilks already has a storied role in the league’s history of racial discrimination. Wilks is involved in the pending Brian Flores racial discrimination case against the league and several teams, having sued the Cardinals. After the announcement that Wilks was being passed over for Reich, Wilks’ lawyer in the suit, Doug Wigdor, implied that Carolina would soon find itself added to the lawsuit as a defendant, as reported by Florio. The argument on Wilks’ behalf is that racial bias affected his chances to remain the head coach in Carolina on an official basis and that his existing involvement in the pending lawsuit against the NFL led the Panthers to consider him in a lesser capacity.

“We are shocked and disturbed that after the incredible job Coach Wilks did as the interim coach, including bringing the team back into playoff contention and garnering the support of the players and fans, that he was passed over for the head coach position by (Panthers owner) David Tepper,” Wigdor averred in his statement. “There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL, and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days.”

Whether or not Fairman’s hiring holds any wrongdoing, it immediately becomes a point of interest in the eventual litigation. The theory would be that the Panthers knew that Reich would eventually become their head coach when they hired Fairman and strung any other candidates along for a sham coaching search that made a mockery of the NFL’s diversity hiring rules and efforts. Efforts like the Rooney Rule have been minimized into red tape that has NFL franchises perfunctorily going through mandatory motions with zero intention.

If Reich’s appointment was a done deal at the time of Fairman’s hiring, it becomes a key example of the league’s issues with racial discrimination, and Wilks case gains much more evidential validity. In order to prove that theory, an investigation will have to be undertaken to review all communications and question those involved in the hiring process.

Broncos, Texans Remain In Play For Sean Payton; Panthers Preparing Big Offer?

January 18th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton has gone through with two of his scheduled interviews, meeting with the Texans on Monday and the Broncos on Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, both teams remain in play for the costly coaching candidate.

The Broncos may still be in the lead, though Payton has not committed to returning to coaching this year. Denver remains in “very strong position” to be able to lure Payton away from his FOX sabbatical, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. We heard previously Payton was willing to work with Russell Wilson, the QB’s shockingly mediocre season aside, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes the money the Broncos will be willing to pay will be a factor in these sweepstakes.

Rob Walton‘s ownership group will be able to comfortably out-offer other teams, should the Broncos view Payton as a bank-breaking HC candidate. The team did just see its 1-B candidate, Jim Harbaugh, decide to stay at Michigan. That could increase a Broncos offer. However, the Panthers look to be willing to pay up in terms of money and power. David Tepper is prepared to give Payton “just about anything he wants,” Maske adds (on Twitter). The prospect of Payton wanting to join the Panthers, who would need to give the Saints valuable draft compensation for his rights, remains uncertain.

Payton is expected to meet with Tepper and Co. this week, he said during an interview with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd (video link). That meeting is expected to take place in New York. Tepper chasing a prime commodity is not exactly new. He shelled out a seven-year contract for Matt Rhule in 2020 — a deal the Panthers were able to escape after three years, thanks to Rhule’s Nebraska accord — and pursued Deshaun Watson for two years. Thus far, however, the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner has struck out. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers’ NFC South proximity affects a deal, should Payton be interested. Intra-divisional coach trades — both involving the Patriots and Jets — occurred in 1996 and 2000, deals that sent Bill Parcells‘ rights to the Jets and Bill Belichick‘s to the Pats.

In terms of trade compensation, Payton expects the Saints to ask for a mid- to late-first-round pick and reminded Cowherd the Broncos do, in fact, hold a first-round pick (the 49ers’ choice via the Bradley Chubb trade) despite sending their own to the Seahawks for Wilson. Payton and Saints GM Mickey Loomis have discussed the situation, per NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan, who expects a 2023 first-rounder or a future first to anchor this trade package. Payton adds a future No. 1 choice could potentially complete a deal.

Payton said recently ownership and the front office are the most important factors here, and the 16-year New Orleans HC is believed to be intrigued by Denver’s new owners. As far as how personnel power would go with Payton and George Paton, it would be difficult to envision the Broncos’ current GM — who was hired before this ownership group arrived — fielding final-say power over a coach with Payton’s pedigree. Payton, who did confirm teams’ quarterback situations will factor into his decision, has also been rumored to want to bring personnel staffers with him to his next coaching destination.

While the Texans are well behind the Broncos in terms of achievements and have not won more than four games in a season since 2019, they do again have — thanks to the Watson trade — four picks in the first two rounds. This includes the No. 2 overall selection this year. Payton confirmed the Texans are in the running, citing some familiarity with the Cal McNair-fronted ownership group — through years of Saints joint practices with the Texans — along with the team’s draft capital and potentially favorable division. As far as the Cardinals go, Duncan would be “stunned” if Payton became their next head coach (Twitter link). The Saints have granted permission for the Cards to interview Payton, though no confirmed meeting time has surfaced.

Panthers To Interview Steve Wilks For HC Job, Not Planning Expansive Search

January 9th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although David Tepper spoke with Jim Harbaugh about the Panthers’ HC position, the team’s first formal interview should not surprise. Interim coach Steve Wilks will interview for the full-time job Tuesday, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required).

Wilks went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim leader, doing so despite continuous quarterback injuries and taking over a team that had traded Christian McCaffrey. But no interim coach has risen to full-time status with his team since the Jaguars took the interim label off Doug Marrone in 2017.

This year’s Panthers hiring process is not expected to be expansive. GM Scott Fitterer said Monday this year’s list of candidates “will not be a large group.” Teams often want to meet with a high number of candidates from different sides of the ball or, in Carolina’s most recent case, from the college ranks. A limited search seemingly bodes well for Wilks, but the Panthers came away with Matt Rhule after a thin batch of interviews. Tepper’s seven-year, $62MM Rhule deal proved a major misfire for the Panthers, who almost certainly will focus on the pro ranks this time around.

Fitterer will be part of the search committee, but so will Tepper’s wife, Nicole, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. A longtime Seahawks exec, Fitterer moved through a wide-ranging GM search to land the Carolina gig in 2021. Not part of the Rhule search, Fitterer will be a central figure in Carolina’s latest pursuit. But Tepper, who has made some headlines since buying the Panthers in 2018, will likely lead the way.

The Panthers are expected to interview former Colts and Lions HC Jim Caldwell and fellow ex-Indy HC Frank Reich, but the Harbaugh-Panthers connection does not look to be particularly strong. Tepper said Wilks would be considered to stay on if he did an “incredible job.” Wilks won more games than Rhule did in either of his two full seasons and showed considerable improvement compared to his 3-13 Cardinals season in 2018, but the Buccaneers’ Week 17 demolition of the Panthers’ secondary — Wilks’ specialty — undoubtedly hurt the popular interim’s chances.

Carolina has been linked to wanting an offense-oriented coach as well. That has certainly been a popular approach from teams over the past several years, and the Panthers have never hired an offense-geared HC — at least, not one with notable experience in the pros. The Panthers must interview two external minority candidates, in accordance with the Rooney Rule, as well.

Panthers, Jim Harbaugh Discuss HC Job

January 3rd, 2023 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Add a third team to the Jim Harbaugh mix. The Panthers have Harbaugh on their radar and have spoken with the Michigan head coach about their HC position, Will Kunkel of Charlotte Sports Live reports.

The Panthers have not yet interviewed Harbaugh about the job, per ESPN.com’s David Newton (on Twitter), but David Tepper spoke with the former 49ers HC. Harbaugh has also been connected to the Colts and Broncos, with the latter intending to follow through with an interview.

It appears clear Harbaugh, who was on the fringes of NFL coaching searches for years prior to his Vikings interview in 2022, will have a firm seat on this year’s carousel. A report Monday linked Harbaugh to having genuine NFL interest, with a competitive offer likely to lead him out of Ann Arbor.

Steve Wilks‘ status has been a frequent talking point since the Panthers started to fare a bit better post-Matt Rhule, but Carolina blew a 14-point lead against Tampa Bay that led to the Buccaneers sealing the NFC South title. Hired as the Panthers’ secondary coach this year, Wilks saw his position group — one without Jaycee Horn — go through a brutal day against Tampa Bay. Tom Brady scorched the Panthers for 432 passing yards, finding Mike Evans for three deep touchdowns. Considering no interim coach has been promoted to the full-time role since 2017, it is now difficult to see the Panthers going with Wilks.

Carolina may have competition for Harbaugh, with new Broncos owner Rob Walton boasting far deeper pockets than the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner. Tepper, who bought the Panthers in 2018, used his financial resources to give Rhule a seven-year, $62MM deal — one that backfired. Both teams have been loosely linked to Sean Payton, but only a small buyout fee will be required to land Harbaugh. The Saints will require compensation for a Payton poaching. This will be Tepper’s second HC hire. The Panthers must interview two external minority candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule requirement.

Harbaugh, 59, coached in the NFL for just four seasons — from 2011-14 — but enjoyed tremendous success during that period. His .695 NFL win percentage ranks sixth all time. Harbaugh has established a reputation as a coach capable of orchestrating turnaround efforts. The 49ers went from 6-10 to 13-3 in his first season, and Alex Smith became a viable starter for most of the 2010s after Harbaugh helped provide a springboard. Michigan went 5-7 in 2014; the Wolverines won 10 games the next two seasons and made back-to-back CFP appearances from 2021-22. The Panthers have not made the playoffs since Tepper’s arrival.

Michigan’s loss to TCU — the program’s second straight semifinal defeat — may be catalyzing the latest run of Harbaugh-to-NFL rumors. In December, Harbaugh announced intentions to stay in Ann Arbor for a ninth season. It now appears the fiery coach, who has spoken of unfinished business in the NFL, will explore opportunities for a pro return. It would be interesting to see Tepper go back to the college ranks for a hire, but Harbaugh’s profile differs from Rhule’s due to his San Francisco past.

Panthers Expected To Pursue QB Addition This Offseason

January 1st, 2023 at 7:43am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 1, 2023: David Newton of ESPN.com hears from multiple executives that Darnold is playing himself into a short-term deal worth between $10MM-$12MM per year. Though Carolina’s difficult salary cap situation will be an obvious factor in its quarterback plans this offseason, Newton expects the club to have interest in a reunion if the price is right. Presumably, that would not preclude using a high draft choice on a collegiate passer.

DECEMBER 25, 2022: The 2022 season has seen plenty of turbulence for the Panthers with a coaching change taking place and the team being wrought with uncertainty at the quarterback position. The encouraging play from the team under interim head coach Steve Wilks is unlikely to change their aggressiveness in finding a long-term signal-caller in the coming offseason, though.

Carolina entered this spring with Sam Darnold under contract on his fifth-year option, but they were widely expected to add at the position after the former first-rounder’s underwhelming performance in 2021. That resulted in an active pursuit of Deshaun Watson, though the maligned passer was wary of Matt Rhule‘s uncertain future with the organization. Those concerns proved to be well-placed, as the latter was fired five weeks into the campaign, one which started off in disastrous fashion for the Panthers’ offense in particular.

That brought on criticism for Baker Mayfield, who had been under center for each of those games. Acquired in July from the Browns long after the Panthers’ interest in him became clear, the former No. 1 pick struggled mightily in his first year in Charlotte. That resulted in his being benched for XFL alum P.J. Walker, and – after Darnold’s return from a preseason ankle sprain – dropped to third place on the depth chart.

In a relatively unsurprising move, Mayfield was waived just under three weeks ago, which led to a season-ending starting role for him with the Rams. Darnold, meanwhile, has served as the Panthers’ starter in each of the past four games, a stretch which has included three wins to give the team a chance of winning the NFC South. The potential for a strong finish from the USC alum could lead to a deal keeping him in Carolina, but a new quarterback is still expected to be acquired soon.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano report that owner David Tepper is thought to be eyeing a move which “solve[s] his quarterback room once and for all.” That likely would not entail a long-term extension for Darnold, and 2021 third-rounder Matt Corral has missed his entire rookie campaign due to a Lisfranc injury. The Ole Miss product will therefore be expected to fill in strictly as a backup in 2023, regardless of who emerges as the starter.

With Carolina currently projected to be in a worse cap situation than most in the upcoming offseason, the draft represents the obvious avenue for the team to add a new No. 1 QB. However, Fowler and Graziano’s colleague David Newton notes that Darnold’s play could “open the possibility” the Panthers at least wait until after the first round of April’s draft to select a signal-caller. Carolina’s Day 2 and 3 set of picks was bolstered midseason by the Christian McCaffrey trade, giving them plenty of options with respect to adding at least another developmental passer.

The failed experiment with Mayfield is simply the latest in a long line of moves the Panthers have made in recent years which underline their need for a long-term solution under center. The spring of 2023 will represent another opportunity to solve the issue, with the team’s decision regarding retaining or replacing Wilks likely to have a significant impact on their plans.

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