In a decisive move that underscores the Carolina Panthers' deepening crisis, owner David Tepper has parted ways with head coach Frank Reich and several key staff members. The sweeping changes come in the wake of a dismal 1-10 start to the season, which has left the team languishing at the bottom of the NFL standings.
The ax fell on Reich less than 24 hours after a tense episode in the locker room, where Tepper expressed his frustration following the Panthers' narrow 17-10 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans. The loss was symptomatic of the Panthers' ongoing offensive woes; the team has struggled to surpass the 15-point mark in five of their last six outings, culminating in back-to-back games with a meager 10 points on the scoreboard.
Reich's dismissal also saw assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley, as well as quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, leave the organization.
A Season of Disappointment
"There's a heart-pounding disappointment in not hitting the marks that we needed to hit to keep this going and try to get it turned around," Reich shared with The Charlotte Observer, reflecting on the missed opportunities and expressing his regret for the players, coaches, and fans alike.
Reich's tenure with the Panthers draws to a close with a record that stands at 1-10, the poorest showing across the league, including a winless 0-6 record on the road. His departure from the Panthers is historically notable as it marks the first instance since the 1970 merger of a head coach being fired in consecutive seasons, following his previous termination from the Indianapolis Colts last year after starting 3-5-1.
In the interim, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has been appointed to guide the team forward, while senior assistant Jim Caldwell will lend strategic support to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who is set to resume play-calling duties after Reich's brief tenure.
Tepper's decision to let Reich go means he has now dismissed three head coaches during the course of a season since 2019, having previously released Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule from their duties.
Research from ESPN Stats & Information highlights an alarming trend: only six head coaches have failed to complete their first season post-merger, with three of those instances occurring in the past three years—Reich, Urban Meyer with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Nathaniel Hackett with the Denver Broncos.
The Panthers' performance this season ensures a sixth straight losing streak since Tepper took ownership of the team in 2018 for $2.275 billion. Their record stands at 30-63 (.323), positioning them above only the New York Jets in terms of overall performance. Sunday's game did little to change perceptions, with the team ranking 30th in total offense, 29th in both rushing and scoring, and 30th in passing yards per game.
Struggles with the No. 1 Draft Pick
Compounding the Panthers' troubles is the lackluster development of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers had invested heavily in Young, trading away two first-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears for his services.
Young's transition to the NFL has been fraught with challenges. With a Total QBR ranking of 29th at 32.0, his performance has been underwhelming. To date, he has completed 216 of 350 passes for 1,877 yards, with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, earning a passer rating of 74.9. This rating places him among the lower echelons of the league, and he has been sacked 40 times—a tie for the fifth-highest number of sacks for a player in their first 10 games since sack statistics were first recorded in 1963.
The Panthers' hope for a turnaround rests on the shoulders of Tabor and the restructured coaching staff. As the team looks to rebuild and recapture its competitive edge, all eyes will be on how they navigate the remainder of the season and beyond. For Tepper and the Panthers, the quest for success continues amidst one of the most challenging periods in the franchise's history.