The Carolina Panthers’ rebuild is heading in a new direction.
The Panthers fired coach Frank Reich on Monday, following Carolina’s 1-10 start – the worst in the NFL – with six games remaining in the 2023 season.
“I met with Coach Reich [Monday] morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” team owner David Tepper said in a statement announcing the firing. “I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”
The Panthers announced special teams coach Chris Tabor will serve as interim head coach. Senior assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play-calling duties. Brown briefly handled the responsibility earlier this season, but Reich later took back the role.
The Panthers’ rebuild centered on Reich and quarterback Bryce Young has not taken off how Tepper envisioned.
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Tepper was heard by multiple reporters yelling an expletive as he left the Panthers’ locker room after the team’s 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
To make matters worse for Carolina, the Panthers do not own their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The pick, currently slated to be No. 1, is owned by the Chicago Bears after last year’s trade that sent the 2023 No. 1 pick to the Panthers.
How bad has it been for Young, Reich and the Panthers?
Young and the Panthers have struggled due to glaring roster holes created by their trade with the Bears earlier this year. Carolina has failed to score more than 13 points in their last five games, and in seven of their 11 games this season.
Young has a 32.0 total quarterback rating, which ranks 29th in the NFL. Only Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, who has a 30.9 rating, is ranked worst.
Young has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,877 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. He has also been sacked 40 times, which is second-most in the NFL behind Washington’s Sam Howell (55).
The Panthers have the fourth-worst scoring average in the NFL, mustering just 15.7 points per game on offense, while being third in the league, allowing 26.5 points per game to opponents defensively.
Did Reich prefer C.J. Stroud over Bryce Young?
A major disconnect within the Reich tenure appeared to be the Panthers’ decision at quarterback.
While Tepper favored Young, it appeared Houston sensation C.J. Stroud was a quarterback Reich has typically leaned toward during his time in the NFL.
Before the Panthers lost to the Texans earlier this season, Reich appeared to advocate for Young’s selection when asked about his interest in Stroud.
“I’ve never said that to one person anytime, anywhere,” Reich said last month. “Always said—I like C.J. Stroud a lot. I’ve said this many times—I like that whole quarterback draft. I think they were all really good prospects. I think they’re all gonna have really good NFL careers.
“My eyes and our eyes were on Bryce Young, from start to finish. You look at the film, you talk to the man, you get a sense for the leader, the player and what he is and what he can be and how he fits to what we wanna do in the vision we have as an offense, as a team and as an organization. We got the guy for us.
“And I’m sure Houston feels they got the guy for them. That’s great. I mean, I think it's great for the NFL, it's great for our two guys. I think we’re both very happy with where we're at and the direction we're goin’.”
The fact is the Texans have a few more pieces in place, like offensive line help, that has helped Stroud succeed, while the Panthers have position needs that must be filled to help Young flourish.
Frank Reich gets fired for second straight season
Reich was hired by the Panthers earlier this year, just months after being fired from his old gig as the Indianapolis Colts coach.
Reich dealt with Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement in 2019, and a revolving door at quarterback with Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger in the seasons after. He was fired after a 3-5-1 start on Nov. 7, 2022.
With the Panthers taking Young with the No. 1 pick, quarterback was supposed to be the last of Reich’s worries as a coach.
Reich’s 11-game tenure as Panthers coach is the shortest NFL coaching stint since 1978, when the 49ers fired Pete McCulley after nine games.
How far have the Panthers come at the QB position?
Reich was hired to replace Matt Rhule, could not stabilize the Panthers’ quarterback position when he was hired in 2020. He is now the coach at Nebraska.
The Panthers released former No. 1 pick Cam Newton, and started Teddy Bridgewater and P.J. Walker in 2020. They signed former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold, re-signed Newton, and kept Walker in 2021. And former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield joined Darnold and Walker in 2022.
The Panthers, who last drafted Newton with the No. 1 pick in 2011, last reached the Super Bowl in 2015.
