The scene was not great for Matt Rhule and his Carolina Panthers at the tail end of Sunday’s home loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium.
Some of the fans remaining on hand as Carolina fell by the score of 26-16 could be heard chanting “fire Matt Rhule.” Following their third loss in four games this season and 10th defeat in their past 11 outings dating back to the 2021 campaign, patience on the part of the fan base has turned into frustration.
With that said, Panthers owner David Tepper seems to be a bit more patient than fans in Charlotte.
“Panthers owner David Tepper has preached patience with the team’s rebuilding efforts, and the hedge fund billionaire is not expected to make any immediate decisions when it comes to Rhule’s future.”
Joseph Person of The Athletic on Matt Rhule’s job status
It must be noted that Tepper has already made an in-season coaching move thus far during his young tenure in Carolina. That included firing Ron Rivera 12 games into the 2019 season. Whether Rhule follows suit as the 2022 season plays out remains to be seen.
Related: Matt Rhule and NFL head coaches on the hot seat
Matt Rhule has no interest in talking job security
“I’m not gonna talk a lot about my conversations with Dave (Tepper). But he wants to win like everybody else wants to win. He’s a really good owner and a good man, and I’ll keep doing the best I can for him.”
Rhule in responding to questions about his job status on Monday
Since coming over from Baylor ahead of the 2020 season, Rhule is a disastrous 11-26 as the Panthers’ head coach. They rank dead last in total offense and are averaging less than 20 points per game this season.
The backdrop here is Baker Mayfield’s status as the Panthers’ starting quarterback moving forward. In his first season in Charlotte, Mayfield has been among the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
- Baker Mayfield stats (2022): 55% completion, 747 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT, 6 fumbles, 75.0 QB rating
While Sam Darnold is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, Rhule noted on Monday that he’s still ways away from returning after suffering a high-ankle sprain during the preseason.
The only other in-house option is P.J. Walker, meaning that Mayfield will be trotted out there against the San Francisco 49ers next week. It’s not an ideal scenario with San Francisco boasting one of the best defenses in the NFL.