It took 108 days but coach Matt Rhule finally earned an endorsement from Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper.
“I want to thank Matt for the real progress he’s made toward winning this season. I want to compliment him on assembling a new staff that brings a lot more experience than we had with the old staff,” Tepper said. “I believe in Matt. He has my full support.”
The Panthers’ 12-loss season ended in January. Tepper has not spoken since December 2020. Since then, only Jacksonville, Houston, Detroit and both New York teams lost more regular-season games. The Jets and Lions retained their first-year coaches while eight other teams fired their head coach. Five of those teams had six wins or more.
After starting 3-0, Carolina went 2-12 over their last 14 games. Panthers fans have not experienced a win at Bank of America Stadium since September 19. Rhule has had back-to-back five-win seasons. The Panthers have not celebrated a winning season since Tepper bought the team in 2018.
But Rhule survived all that and began his off-season by reshaping the coaching staff. He eventually hired three new assistant coaches with NFL head coaching experience in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, and defensive backs coach Steve Wilks.
He also brought in new offensive and defensive line coaches with decades of expertise. James Campen is an offensive line lifer with 17 years of NFL coaching experience. He coached the Packers’ offensive line from 2004 to 2017. While in Green Bay, Campen helped produce six different Pro Bowl offensive linemen, including David Bakhtiari, T.J. Lang and Jeff Saturday. Defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni has more than 40 years of coaching experience and 10 seasons in the NFL. He spent 17 years as a Division 1 coach, 14 years at Syracuse, and another three with Connecticut.
Compared to the inexperienced staff Rhule surrounded himself with the past two seasons, it’s clear why Tepper endorsed the new hires.
Tepper is determined to focus on a new season, which crosses another milestone this weekend with the 2022 NFL draft. Tepper said general manager Scott Fitterer did a tremendous job in free agency. He expects similar results during the draft based on the team’s level of preparation.
“What’s most important is creating a foundation for future winning. And that’s what we’re going to look for in the foundation from the first year to the second, to the third. It’s progress that we are going to get there,” Tepper said. “Winning does play into certain tools to an extent.”
Solid foundations, organizational alignment and collecting talented players and coaches eventually lead to winning. Tepper can rave about the Panthers’ new foundations and coaches but until they have a stout offensive line and a football-protecting quarterback, Carolina won’t reach the playoffs.
The Panthers will add a quarterback to their existing room of Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker, which could happen as soon as Friday. Darnold played poorly last season, throwing nine touchdowns, 13 interceptions and posting a 33.2 QBR in 11 starts. He missed five games due to a shoulder injury he initially suffered in Week 9 versus the Patriots.
The combination of Darnold and Cam Newton accounted for 29 giveaways, the second-most in the league. Though barometers ranging from advanced analytics to the eye test suggest Darnold is not a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, Tepper supported the 24-year-old who is entering his fifth year.
“At the time, he was a very talented young man,” Tepper said of trading for Darnold. “He was the second or third in that draft class in the first round. He has incredible skills and he still does have incredible skills. I do think we have a very good quarterback in Sam Donald.”
Darnold is a Panther because Tepper signed off on Carolina trading a 2021 sixth-rounder, along with a a second-rounder and a fourth-rounder in this week’s draft. Tepper said his involvement in trades varies depending on the caliber of the player. Since quarterback is the game’s most important position and Tepper ultimately cuts the checks, Darnold and Tepper should be as linked as Rhule and Darnold are.
Perhaps Tepper has learned from his quick trigger finger. The Panthers gave up too many draft picks for Darnold and are on the hook for his $18.9 million fully guaranteed fifth-year option because they exercised it last May before he played a down in Charlotte.
Going forward, Carolina will be more protective of their future draft capital. The team has zero selections between picks Nos. 6 and 137, which covers the entire second and third rounds. Fitterer said teams have called about acquiring their 2023 picks or later for Day 2 selections but he has declined.
But as Tepper said (and Fitterer confirmed Tuesday), Tepper will be involved in major decisions, like the No. 6 pick and what quarterback the team eventually brings in. Soon Tepper can showcase what he’s learned from enduring this turbulent year.
“I think it’s hard to build that foundation. It’s hard,” Tepper said. “I have a new appreciation for how stupid I am sometimes. It’s hard and I have a certain amount of humility in this respect.”
