Panthers coaching job profile: Both red flags and opportunity after Frank Reich firing
The Carolina Panthers are once again in the market for a new head coach after issuing Frank Reich a pink slip Monday morning – his second NFL ouster in the past year.
As for the organization that just dismissed him? Trigger-happy owner David Tepper will be looking for his fourth head coach since he bought the Panthers in 2018, Reich joining his two predecessors as midseason firings. Anyone who assumes this post will doubtless understand he's unlikely to enjoy the benefit of a very long leash.
But aside from that, is it an enticing opportunity? In some ways, perhaps. In other ways? Well, let’s break it down for anyone considering a move to Charlotte in 2024.
Quarterback situation
Well …
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It’s been nearly nine months since the Panthers traded a pair of first-round picks, two seconds and explosive WR DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears for the top pick of the 2023 draft – a selection they used on Alabama QB Bryce Young. Reich, a former NFL quarterback himself, was supposed to groom Young into a star who would propel the franchise back to relevance.
Early returns are what they are, but it appears – at least in the context of an 11-game sample size – that Carolina made a catastrophic mistake by opting for Young over C.J. Stroud, who went to the Houston Texans with the second overall selection and is on track to have a historic rookie season … and for a team that appeared less talented than the Panthers after the 2022 season.
The defense for taking Young was his ability to process the game on the fly, synthesize a playbook and intangibles that were (and still are) expected to make him a worthy face of the franchise and leader who could revitalize a team that hasn’t reached postseason since 2017, when former league MVP Cam Newton was still in the saddle.
To date, Young’s poise has rarely cracked, and he’s seemed unwaveringly positive despite his team’s league-worst 1-10 record. Yet his 74.9 passer rating ranks 30th among 32 qualified quarterbacks. His 61.7% completion rate ranks 28th, and his 1,877 passing yards and nine TD passes are near the bottom of the NFL's statistical barrel. Young has also been sacked 40 times, which is a major concern for a slender player who seems generously listed at 5-10 and 204 pounds. He missed one start with a sprained ankle. It obviously hasn’t helped to toggle from Reich as his play caller to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, then back to Reich, who reclaimed the role after handing it off for a few games … and now Brown again.
It's wholly premature to suggest Young is a bust and won’t gain his professional footing. But it might have also been premature to throw him into the lineup on opening day – particularly since Andy Dalton, who’s under contract through next season, is arguably the most capable backup quarterback in the league.
Regardless, it seems imperative for Carolina to bring in an accomplished offensive mind – preferably one who’s successfully shepherded young QBs – to get Young on the right track. And fast.
Roster
It seems to have quality pieces in key spots, but almost no one is playing up to their potential. LT Ickey Ekwonu and CB Jaycee Horn are among recent first-round picks who have yet to make a splash, though Ekwonu has toiled on an O-line that has been decimated by injuries. Horn has been shelved quite a bit himself. DT Derrick Brown and OLB Brian Burns appear to be defensive cornerstones, yet GM Scott Fitterer has yet to extend either of them and may have to use the franchise tag to keep Burns after the season. LB Frankie Luvu, RT Taylor Moton and veteran WR Adam Thielen are solid veterans, if not necessarily ones who will make a long-term difference.
Big picture, ample work to be done here – especially as it pertains to protecting Young and providing more weaponry around him. The loss of Moore has been a significant blow to this offense, but the Bears insisted on his inclusion in the pre-draft trade and were right to do so.
Yet addressing these issues won’t be so easy, because …
Salary cap
Per Over The Cap, the Panthers are scheduled to have about $57 million in cap space in 2024 and currently have roughly $6 million this year that could be rolled over. As it stands now, that puts Carolina somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of spending power – though those funds could go fast if Fitterer opts to lock up Brown, Burns and Luvu, who’s also set to be a free agent next year.
2024 draft
If the season ended today – it doesn’t – Carolina would have earned the top pick of the 2024 draft … for Chicago. In better news, Fitter would get to choose atop the second, third and fourth rounds, but he’s still minus a second-rounder in 2025. Past deals for QB Sam Darnold and CB C.J. Henderson didn't pan out and stripped this team of mid-round choices that have limited Fitterer’s ability to lay a foundation or build quality depth.
Outlook and coaching candidates
It could be worse. It could definitely be better. Any prospective coach is going to want assurance from Tepper that he’ll get time to establish a culture, improve the overall talent baseline and recalibrate Young after what’s been a pretty disastrous debut.
Ben Johnson is going to be the hot name in next year’s coaching cycle and perhaps an ideal fit here. But, as the likely belle of the ball, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator will probably be enabled to call his shot – and that might mean a more stable environment than the one Tepper has fostered. Johnson showed enough self-awareness to remain in Motown this year, withdrawing as a candidate after the interviewing process has begun even though he likely could have been an HC elsewhere in 2023.
Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik, who’s overseen Stroud’s meteoric rise, Philadelphia Eagles OC Brian Johnson and Washington Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy are among other names to monitor. And Tepper does have solid in-house considerations, including senior assistant Jim Caldwell – an experienced and steady hand who’s currently helping Thomas Brown, potentially another option himself – and highly regarded defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores could be in the mix as previously accomplished head men ready for a second shot – though their leadership and defensive chops would have to be accompanied with the right hire dedicated to bringing Young along. The college ranks are always a wild card, though fair to wonder about the future of embattled Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. His four years running the San Francisco 49ers netted one Super Bowl defeat and two losses in the NFC title round. But even if he winds up leaving Ann Arbor, he could be better wired to assume control of a roster that's more ready to win immediately than Carolina's.
Will Tepper get the guy he truly wants? He’s got the money to make a convincing recruiting pitch, but TBD. But he should have enough qualified applicants to sift through given this job is one of 32 in what is generally a buyer’s market.
***Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.
