The Carolina Panthers were one of the offseason’s most aggressive teams, trading up to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Bryce Young to be the franchise QB. The organization also hired Frank Reich, a former QB who won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reich’s hire was seen as a ‘safe pick,’ choosing a coach with previous experience instead of repeating their past mistake, hiring a rising star from the college ranks in Matt Rhule.
But after an 0-5 start, questions are starting to surround the Panthers’ organization. Was Young the right QB to pick? Were the Panthers wrong to trade D.J. Moore, leaving their young QB without a proven receiver capable of consistently winning one-on-one battles aside from Adam Thielen? Bigger yet, were the Panthers wrong to hire Coach Reich?
It may be a bit early to answer any of these questions, but at least one NFL insider, namely Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, feels the extra attention on Reich may have some legs attached.
His takeaway came after the head coach’s comments on how team owner David Tepper operates his team, which is a much more hands-on approach than his fellow NFL franchise owners.
Here are Reich’s comments about being micro-managed.
“He wants to bring a winner to the Carolinas. He wants it now. He pushes me, and pushes us, to that end. He wants to do whatever it takes, turn over every stone, churn it as much as he has to to produce winning football. So I appreciate those conversations. They’re always very challenging. He’s a super-competitive person. He’s not going to sit idly by.
There’s different philosophies in ownership. Some owners kind of stay away and don’t engage a whole lot. Other owners do. And his philosophy is he’s gonna engage. And, listen, it’s only been a short experience, but it’s been a really good experience. It hasn’t been fun. It’s not fun. Those meetings aren’t—I wouldn’t characterize them as fun meetings. But those meetings make me better, and I trust they make us better.”
Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich on David Tepper’s management style
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Next, here was Breer’s response when asked if Coach Reich was legitimately on the hot seat despite being in the first season of a four-year contract.
“First of all, I appreciate the honesty from Reich and a window into the unique partnerships owners have with their coaches. Second, it sounds like what I’ve heard from others who’ve worked for Tepper—he’s taken his approach to running a hedge fund into the NFL world, in keeping his thumb on those who work for him and keeping heat on everyone to perform. And Reich is correct to say there are a lot of owners who don’t operate like that (a bunch don’t even live in the cities their teams play in and aren’t around the office much).”
SI’s Albert Breer on Carolina Panthers
It’s clear there’s plenty of room for growth, and although it may be too early to hit the reset button again in Carolina, even NFL insiders like Breer feel the situation at least bears keeping a close eye on. Right now, the Panthers are 0-5, but what happens if they become 0-6 following Sunday’s matchup with Miami?
The Panthers then have a bye week before taking on Houston, Indianapolis, and Chicago. If Coach Reich’s team doesn’t start showing a pulse soon, who knows what may happen next?
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