5 leading candidates if the Panthers cut ties with head coach Matt Rhule

Which way could the Carolina Panthers go with their next head coach if they took the decision to relieve Matt Rhule of his duties this offseason?

This isn’t what Matt Rhule had in mind when taking over as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Team owner David Tepper paid a hefty sum to prise him from the college ranks after earning a strong reputation as a program builder, but nothing seems to be getting better and there appears little doubt the pressure is on following the bye week.

Rhule has been linked with some top college jobs in recent days. Although it doesn’t appear as if he’s willing to take the step back down after just two seasons in the NFL, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

It would be nothing short of a bombshell if Tepper fired Rhule after just two seasons.

However, the billionaire has watched some mediocre football or worse since buying the team. So if things go as expected over the last five games, he’ll no doubt explore every possible option to turn this team around.

Carolina Panthers would be admitting defeat by letting Matt Rhule go.

Carolina would be admitting their rebuild simply hasn’t worked if they went in this direction. The fact Rhule also has the final say on personnel decisions makes his situation even more precarious.

The same problems are constantly coming up. Poor offensive line play, quarterback inconsistency, run-stopping, and in-game adjustments have been a constant source of frustration with no sign of changing any time soon.

Although it appears unlikely at this juncture. Who would be the leading candidates if the Panthers did cut ties with Rhule this offseason?