It seems that Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule could very well be competing to keep his job on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Suffice it to say, the Rhule regime in Carolina has been resoundingly disappointing thus far. Since being hired by the organization before the 2020 season — following an impressive run leading Baylor University to prominence — the team has amassed a pathetic 11-26 record. It’s put a lot of pressure on the 47-year-old heading into his third season leading the team.
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Unfortunately for him, and Panthers fans, the team has gotten off to another disappointing start in 2022. Despite swinging a trade for a quarterback upgrade in former Cleveland Browns starter Baker Mayfield, the is 1-3, facing down another losing season and last-place finish in the NFC South. Rhule’s footing with the organization was already on shaking ground, but after a poor start that includes the team having one of the worst offenses in the league, a new report claims he may not get much longer to prove he deserves to keep his job.
Carolina Panthers headed for 1-4 start with a tough matchup versus 49ers in Week 5
Earlier this week, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano revealed that the word out of Carolina suggests that unless the Panthers rack up a win soon, the organization could look to end his tenure in the near future
“Coaching hot seat chatter is already starting to pick up, and there was a lot of buzz early in the week about the Panthers possibly making a move with Matt Rhule if things don’t pick up soon. If that happens, look for former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks, currently on the Carolina staff as defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach, to be the most likely interim head coach for the rest of the season.”
- Matt Rhule contract: seven years $62 million
Rhule has certainly earned the pressure he is under based on the team’s performance over the last three seasons. If he is fired unless he can get a win immediately, it almost seems likely that he could be out after this week since the Panthers will have a very difficult matchup against the 49ers Sunday. San Francisco has arguably the best defense in football, with the Panthers being the exact opposite on offense.
The San Francisco 49ers have a forecast 69% chance to win against The Carolina Panthers with a spread of -6.0/6.0 and an over/under of 38.0. The San Francisco 49ers are 0 – 0 against The Carolina Panthers in the 2022-23 Season.— Sunday, October 09th San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers
Meaning Carolina could have trouble scoring in double digits in Week 5 and make Rhule’s coaching look as bad as possible when the pressure on him is at a peak.