The Carolina Panthers gave up an unprecedented haul to move up and draft quarterback Bryce Young, hoping he would immediately make them one of the NFL’s breakout teams in 2023. Midway through a disastrous season, frustration is reportedly growing inside the Panthers’ organization.
Led by franchise owner David Tepper, who desperately wanted to find a franchise-caliber quarterback, Carolina paid up to acquire the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears. The Panthers agreed to surrender No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore, te 9th overall pick, 61st overall pick, a first-round pick in 2024 and a 2025 second-round pick.
- Carolina Panthers offense stats 2023: 275.6 total yards per game (30th in NFL), 17 points per game (27th in NFL), 37.7 percent third-down conversion rate (19th in NFL)
The results thus far have been underwhelming for Carolina. Young has performed the worst of the rookie quarterbacks and the Panthers’ offense has been even worse than it was in 2022 with Sam Darnold. To make matters worse, the Panthers’ projected top-five pick belongs to Chicago.
The Panthers’ organization hasn’t lost its faith that Young is still the long-term solution under center. However, Tepper is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with the situation around the rookie quarterback.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Tepper is “frustrated by this offense and its lack of improvement” throughout the season. There’s also plenty of criticism of the offense from within the organization, with some critical of the roster construction around Young and others describing the offense as “lifeless” this year.
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- Bryce Young stats 2023: 8-7 TD-INT, 33.1 ESPN QBR, 1,560 passing yards, 5.4 yards per attempt, 75.9 quarterback rating, 62.8 percent completion rate
Carolina specifically hired head coach Frank Reich for his track record with quarterbacks and his previous success as a play-caller. In addition, Tepper provided the financial resources necessary to build a coaching staff that many around the NFL viewed as one of the deepest in the league and well-equipped to support a rookie quarterback. Not only that, Reich also has the largest coaching staff in the NFL.
While the Panthers haven’t publicly suggested Reich’s job is in danger and first-year coaching firings are rare, there is reportedly a clear message being sent to everyone inside the organization.
“Ownership needs to see more progress on offense. There needs to be development and improvement.”
Dianna Russini on the message inside the Carolina Panthers organization
Tepper is no stranger to making abrupt changes. Since purchasing the team five years ago, the Panthers’ owner has already gone through five head coaches and his track record is similar to his management with Charlotte’s MLS team.
Many around football still believe Tepper was the one who influenced the decision to trade up for the No. 1 pick and there’s a conviction that he made the call to draft Young. However, the 2023 NFL season has proven that Carolina’s roster wasn’t built well enough to support Young.
The internal criticisms of the roster put the front office under further scrutiny. Carolina reportedly rejected an offer ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline that would’ve provided the Panthers with two first-round picks from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for edge rusher Brian Burns.
Carolina opted not to trade Burns ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, despite league-wide interest in the standout edge rusher. Now, the Panthers will need to extend their best defensive player this offseason and find a way to build a strong supporting cast around Young while having limited draft assets and cap space.