Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper spoke to reporters Tuesday and defended his decisions to fire head coach Frank Reich and select quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Among Tepper’s most questionable comments was that he has shown “extreme patience” – in his other line of work, as a billionaire hedge fund manager – and that he would like to hire a head coach who could give his “eulogy at my funeral in 30 years. OK, maybe it’s 40 years.”
Related: Carolina Panthers legend could reportedly become head coaching candidate in 2024
His actions as an owner of both an NFL franchise and a professional soccer team don’t come close to matching his words. When he fired Reich on Monday after only 11 games, it was the fifth time he has dismissed a coach in less than five years.
David Tepper, who spoke for 14 minutes, said he fired Reich with a league-worst 1-10 record because “the progress on the field isn’t good enough right now.” He has since installed special teams coordinator Chris Tabor as the interim head coach, who then promptly fired quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and running backs coach Duce Staley.
David Tepper supports selection of Bryce Young
Tepper reiterated his support for rookie quarterback Bryce Young, saying he “we are totally confident in that pick.” He said the original decision was to trade up to No. 2 and select C.J. Stroud, but the choice was “nearly unanimous” to move up to No. 1 and take Young.
Related: NFL QB Rankings 2023: Stroud at No. 7; Young No. 28
Since that fateful draft day, Stroud has fashioned a record-setting rookie season in Houston, while Young has struggled mightily.
Comparing the top two draft picks
| Record | 300-yd games | Comp.% | TD-Int. | QB rating | |
| C.J. Stroud | 6-5 | 6 | 63.7 | 19-5 | 100.8 |
| Bryce Young | 1-10 | 0 | 61.7 | 9-8 | 74.9 |
Even New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, an undrafted free agent, has outperformed Young, although DeVito has played in seven fewer games.
Tepper had apparently seen enough during Sunday’s 17-10 loss to Tennessee. After the game Tepper was overheard yelling an expletive in the locker room out of frustration.
Related: Firing Frank Reich is nothing new for Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper
There’s no question Tepper no longer believed in Reich’s ability to develop Young to his full potential even though he signed Reich, a former NFL quarterback, to a four-year contract mostly because of his work with quarterbacks.
What can’t be forgotten, however, is what the Panthers sacrificed to move up in the draft and select Young: receiver D.J. Moore, their first- and second-round picks in 2023, their first-round pick in 2024 (which would be No. 1 overall again) and a second-rounder in 2025.
While they were hoping Young would become a franchise quarterback, it could still happen over the next few seasons. But the lack of incoming talent does little to set up either the coaching staff or their rookie quarterback for success in the immediate future.
Who would want to work for David Tepper?
Asked if he believed his reputation for firing coaches would deter quality candidates from coming to Carolina, Tepper answered with an emphatic “No.”
Related: 5 Carolina Panthers coaching candidates to replace Frank Reich, including Ben Johnson
Meanwhile, Tepper refused to answer questions from at least one Panthers beat reporter who’d written that the Panthers owner should consider firing himself.
Regardless of the contract Tepper might offer to lure coaching candidates, the future appears dim for anyone he hires based on Tepper’s impetuous ways, his history of meddling in football decisions, and the state of his current roster. What’s to prevent him from firing a head coach in the same manner as Reich next season if Carolina finds itself with another 1-10 record?
If Tepper desires continuity on his coaching staff and in his front office, then he needs to prove it. While there is always a “win now” mentality in the NFL, then give a head coach 2-3 seasons to prove he’s capable of turning around the team’s fortunes, Otherwise, every head coach will be set up to fail.
Tepper can say all he wants about the “extreme patience” he exercises in running his billionaire hedge fund business. His 30-63 record as an NFL owner says everything about how poorly he runs an NFL franchise. And he’s given Panthers fans no reason to show any patience in him.