It felt as if Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was hanging onto his job by the scrawniest of threads following the 2021 season. And, quite frankly, that still may be the case.
But now, the man who had almost no footing just two months ago is the last one standing in the NFC South—at least since he arrived.
On Wednesday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Bruce Arians has stepped down as their head coach. The 69-year-old, who will move to a role in the team’s front office, has been replaced by now former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
So, what does this have to do with Rhule? Well, Arians’ retirement from the sidelines has effectively made Rhule the longest-tenured head coach in the division.
After leading the Panthers to a combined 10-23 record over his first two seasons, with an active seven-game losing streak going into 2022, Rhule will enter his third campaign in Carolina as the elder statesman of the South. As for the other two foes—the New Orleans Saints have elevated their defensive coordinator Dennis Allen following Sean Payton’s retirement while Arthur Smith is set to embark on his sophomore year heading the Atlanta Falcons.
Arians leaves his post having gone 5-1 against the Panthers in his three-year tenure with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay outscored Carolina 196 to 114 in those matchups.
