Joe Brady firing was Matt Rhule’s final card to play as pressure mounts

Firing offensive coordinator Joe Brady was Matt Rhule’s final card to play as pressure continues to mount on the Carolina Panthers head coach. 

As bye weeks go, it was an eventful one and in keeping with the way things are currently transpiring for the Carolina Panthers.

Everyone associated with the organization was sitting down for some stress-free football in Week 13. No sooner had they done this, the Panthers dropped another bombshell by announcing offensive coordinator Joe Brady had been relieved of his duties by head coach Matt Rhule.

Jeff Nixon – a long-time Rhule loyalist – will be tasked with calling the plays over Carolina’s remaining five games, which appears to be an audition to secure the job long-term.

As for Brady, he won’t be out of work long. Coaches with his upside and reputation across the league and the college ranks seldom wait for another opportunity.

The news comes after the Panthers lost two important games against the Washington Football Team and Miami Dolphins just before the bye week. Although after results on Sunday, they are somehow still within touching distance regarding a playoff spot.

Whether this played a role in Brady’s dismissal or not is up for debate. However, it was a sign that things are getting a little bit uncomfortable for Rhule in just his second season in Carolina.

It’s absolutely textbook. When things aren’t going according to plan, the coordinators go first.

If that doesn’t work, then the head coach follows soon after.

Brady should have done better at certain points. There appears little doubt about that and this obviously played a role in his eventual demise.

But personnel decisions, a continuous quarterback carousel, no consistent protection from the offensive line, and no real plan without Christian McCaffrey didn’t exactly put Brady in the best possible position to succeed.

Matt Rhule plays his final hand with the Carolina Panthers.

This might be the last roll of the dice for Rhule, who won’t exactly be firing defensive coordinator Phil Snow anytime soon given their close relationship.

Going back to the Baylor connection and Wilson is the only way Rhule knows how to operate. But he should be all too aware by now that this isn’t college and much more is needed.

Who knows, this might inspire the Panthers to do bigger and better things. And considering how stagnant things became on offense, Brady was probably going to leave this offseason, anyway.

However, the Panthers have a daunting run of games down the stretch and there is a very real prospect of things getting worse before they get better.

If things continue trending on a downward curve, then team owner David Tepper has a big decision to make.

Wiping the slate clean after just two seasons under Rhule is a drastic measure – especially when Year 3 is the time his college programs showed real growth. But with multiple key veterans out of contract, no Day 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and big-time questions about the stability at quarterback, there is a lot of work to be done.

This might be Rhule’s final card to play. Firing Brady and implementing a power-running game without McCaffrey, relying on Ameer Abdullah, rookie Chuba Hubbard, and Cam Newton to get the job done.

And make no mistake, his job might just depend on it.