Next steps for Panthers, Bryce Young with Frank Reich firing

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper fired head coach Frank Reich Monday morning, following their 17-10 road loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Carolina has the worst record in the NFL at 1-10, tied for its worst start through 11 games (2001, 2010).

Special teams coach Chris Tabor has been named interim head coach, while offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will assume playing duties with help from senior assistant Jim Caldwell.

Reich was fired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 last season, his fourth at the helm of that team. He is now the first head coach since the 1970 merger to be fired in consecutive seasons, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information. Reich’s tenure as head coach of the Panthers is the second shortest in the NFL since 1970.

Last offseason, the Panthers traded away their 2024 first-round pick in order to move up in the 2023 draft and take Bryce Young first overall. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Reich joins Urban Meyer (Jaguars, 2021) as the only other leader. coach during the common draft era (since 1967) for not completing his first season with a team after drafting a quarterback No. 1 overall (Meyer coached 13 games with Trevor Lawrence).

This is the second straight season Tepper has fired his head coach, having let Matt Rhule go following a 1-4 start last season, making the Panthers the fourth team to make a midseason change over the course of consecutive seasons (1961-62 Raiders, 1975-76 Jets, 1985-86 Bills), according to Elias.

The Panthers haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, and their 30-63 record since then is second-worst behind the New York Jets.

Nothing has gone well this season, as the Panthers are the only team to rank in the bottom five in points per game on offense and points per game allowed on defense, while their offensive and defensive efficiency ranks each 30th. And since 2000, Jimmy Clausen (Panthers, 2010) is the only NFL quarterback who averaged fewer yards per dropback than Young (4.2) this season.

What’s next for the Panthers as they try to turn things around again? ESPN journalists David Newton and Jeremy Fowler explain it:

Why fire Reich now?

It’s simple: Reich was hired because of his successful history of building offenses and developing quarterbacks, but the Panthers’ offense and Young’s development as a franchise quarterback didn’t. were going nowhere. The offense ranks 30th in the NFL and is coming off a second straight game by scoring 10 points after Reich took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who served in that role for three games. The Panthers have gone five straight games with 15 points or fewer.

Young was not improving. On the contrary, his condition was getting worse. His Total QBR has ranked near the bottom of the league all season (currently 29th). There was no need to keep pretending that things would change, because there was no evidence that they would. It didn’t help that Reich always said he had the players to win after losses, and it didn’t help that the offensive unit he worked with general manager Scott Fitterer to build around Young performed miserably. failed. There was simply no reason to continue down this path. –Newton

Why did the Reich/Young relationship fail to take off?

It wasn’t so much the relationship that failed, but rather the failure to build a team around Young that was able to succeed.

Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer moved forward with an offensive line that, in 2022, had success in the second half of the season when Carolina shifted to a power running game, but was horrible during the first half of season when Rhule and his team attempted to run a spread offense.

Reich’s spread offense typically features four to five receivers, which left Young vulnerable behind a group that couldn’t protect him. He was sacked 40 times, tied for the fifth-most by a player in his first 10 games since sacks were first recorded in 1963. He was pressured an NFL-high 14 times , Sunday. Then there was the lack of arms reception around Young. Outside of veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, no one Reich brought in has produced consistently.

In the end, Reich failed Young. –Newton

Who is interim head coach Chris Tabor?

Carolina’s special teams coach is one of the few holdovers from Rhule’s staff. His strength lies in dealing with people and messaging, so from that perspective he is ideal to serve as an interim coach. Additionally, there is little chance that Tepper will be faced with the decision of whether or not to make Tabor the permanent coach after the season, unlike last season with Steve Wilks, who nearly led the Panthers to the playoffs with a score 6-6. Tepper took a lot of criticism for not giving Wilks the job.

Tabor has only been a head coach once, in 2001 for Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. He briefly served as an interim coach in the NFL for the Chicago Bears in 2021 after head coach Matt Nagy tested positive for COVID. His NFL history has been on special teams, particularly for the Bears. Again, he is not expected to be part of the search process for the next coach. –Newton

What influence will Jim Caldwell have as special offensive advisor?

Caldwell, 68, will help provide advice to Brown, the offensive coordinator, as he returns to play-calling duties. Caldwell has a long history of offensive success as an NFL head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Brown is a former NFL running back who also coached the position. So look for Caldwell to provide insight in the passing game and help develop Young like he did with Peyton Manning during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. It feels like it’s more about helping Young than anything else. –Newton

Could general manager Scott Fitterer or others be in danger?

I don’t feel like anyone in Carolina feels too safe right now. Collateral damage could be a factor amid massive changes over the past 14 months, dating back to Rhule’s firing. But Fitterer has had a good relationship with Tepper since he was hired in 2021, so maybe that absolves him here.

The decisions to draft Young and hire Reich weren’t just Fitterer’s – Panthers executives were unanimous on both decisions.

Fitterer is well liked and works well with others. Clearly, though, the Panthers have blown their chances often in the last three drafts. The pillars of the franchise are rare, as is the depth of quality. The offensive line, which includes former No. 6 overall pick Ikem Ekwonu, has regressed. And with no first-round pick in 2024, Tepper needs a personnel leader to do more with less in April. Maybe it’s Fitterer. But the pressure is strong, despite everything. — Fowler

What are the off-season prospects for improving talent?

The Panthers should look to acquire more draft capital. Offseason contract negotiations with linebacker Brian Burns have been difficult, so a sign-and-trade scenario outside the franchise could help with the rebuild (Carolina might not get the first two-plus rounds as the Rams offered l ‘last year, but Burns remains a coveted player. Talent). In a perfect world, the Panthers would like to keep Burns and pair him with a high-end bookend passer (Carolina looked at Montez Sweat and Washington’s Chase Young at the trade deadline, for example).

Adding a vertical threat in attack is essential. Free agent wide receiver Tee Higgins should be at the top of the priority list. He would be a perfect complement to Young. And with an estimated $39 million in cap space next year, filling needs like receiver or pass rusher in free agency should be no problem.

Injuries have left Carolina thin at offensive guard, a position with many impact players available in free agency in 2024. The NFL is built on parity, where a series of savvy roster moves can quickly bring back a team in the playoff mix. But this is a team that has traded away too many picks and needs to keep what it has, or even add to it. –Fowler

What is the temperature in the locker room?

The frustration of losing is the main thing. There was never a feeling that Reich had lost the locker room. Most players praised Reich and his ability to stay consistent even in tough times. Team leaders like Young and Thielen consistently defended Reich, saying it was up to the players to produce. –Newton

Who are some potential candidates that Tepper could target as the next head coach?

Carolina has quality internal candidates in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and offensive coordinator Brown. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Tepper looks outside for the second year in a row. Last offseason, Carolina showed interest in Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who opted to stay in Detroit and will be high on teams’ wish list this cycle. I can’t imagine Carolina being a destination job for top candidates, but there are only 32 jobs available and financial discussions. Houston coordinator Bobby Slowik (36) also fits the mold of young offensive wizard.

Dallas’ Dan Quinn and Baltimore’s Mike Macdonald will be hot names on the defensive end. But in reality, Carolina should prioritize leadership. Last year it was all about recruiting an offensive guy, and Rhule was the hot college name four years ago.

You never know where the right candidate will emerge. Rumor has it that Shane Steichen didn’t impress during his interview with Carolina last year. Now he has the Colts at 6-5 with a backup quarterback. Success can come from anywhere. –Fowler