Has the balance of power shifted within the Carolina Panthers?

There are some signs that might indicate that the balance of power has shifted within the Carolina Panthers following another five-win season.

Matt Rhule is a man under the microscope for all the wrong reasons right now. Another season of abject misery for the Carolina Panthers when they threatened real progress over the first three weeks had many calling for the former Baylor man’s head after two years in the role – a wish that was not granted by team owner David Tepper despite the billionaire reportedly being embarrassed by the contract allocated to the head coach to keep him from joining the New York Giants.

Not only have Rhule’s coaching methods and an evident lack of adjustments in-game come in for severe criticism. But the fact he’s also had the final say on personnel decisions makes what is transpiring even worse.

The stakes are incredibly high for Rhule in Year 3. This is a time when his rebuilding in college began to make significant strides and although the NFL is a completely different animal, this could have been the argument that kept his job.

Whether this can be accomplished with minimal cap space, one draft selection in the opening three rounds, and multiple key veterans also looking for new deals is another matter. But if things don’t start trending on an upward curve, then big changes could be on the horizon as a result.

Matt Rhule has not been seen much during the Carolina Panthers offseason

Rhule hasn’t been made available much to the media following the season. Not entirely out of the ordinary with nothing much going on.

But there has been no statement from Rhule regarding any of the Panthers‘ new coaching hires and he was nowhere to be seen during Senior Bowl week, which is one of the primary evaluation dates in the calendar before the 2022 NFL Draft.

This could be nothing, obviously. But it might also be the clearest sign yet that the balance of power has shifted when it comes to the recruitment process.

Tepper hasn’t exactly been a media darling following another failed season, either. Coming out and speaking publicly on his thoughts and the team’s plans moving forward would at least provide clarity – but with Charlotte FC’s inaugural campaign about to get underway, it’s probably not high on his list of priorities.

Two men that were there throughout in Mobile could form the brain trust behind future personnel decisions. General manager Scott Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan have built a strong working relationship and are widely respected in league circles, so the best thing for the Panthers might be to allow them to stamp their own mark on the roster and let Rhule handle the coaching side of things.

That’s not great for Rhule’s ego. But with two major quarterback moves going wrong and other gambles to key positional groups also coming up short, he should have absolutely no complaints even though he’ll still get a voice in any discussions.

Again, things might stay as they are for good or bad. And one suspects that handling the final say on personnel moves was a leading factor behind Rhule choosing the Panthers.

However, things change quickly in the NFL, especially where struggling organizations are concerned. So the prospect of power shifting slightly cannot be ruled out, either.