Deshaun Watson snub is damning indictment of Panthers’ process

Deshaun Watson snubbing the Carolina Panthers after more than a year of interest is a damning indictment of the current process within the organization. 

This was the guy. The man that was set to bring the Carolina Panthers back to prominence.

However, nothing usually goes according to plan in the NFL. And in Deshaun Watson‘s case, a year-long pursuit at what would have been a bombshell trade eventually concluded with the former Clemson star saying thanks but no thanks in favor of either the Atlanta Falcons or New Orleans Saints – two teams that lie within Carolina’s division.

If the Panthers were exploring the worst possible outcomes to this situation, then this is right up there. They alienated a large portion of their fanbase by targeting a player that had 22 sexual misconduct allegations hanging over him and the team will now come up against Watson twice a season for the next decade no matter which organization he ends up with.

David Tepper was leading this push, make no mistake about that. The billionaire remains steadfast in his belief that all it’s going to take is a franchise quarterback to get things moving in the right direction, but Watson spurning the owner is the most damning indictment yet that the current process is simply not going according to plan.

This is the bed Tepper made for himself. He is the man that gave Matt Rhule a seven-year, $62 million deal and the final say on personnel decisions and he is the man that gave him a reprieve despite the Panthers losing 12 of their final 14 games in 2021.

All the talk of Tepper caring about winning and not much else has been just that. Talk is cheap in the NFL and considering the problems that have surfaced regarding the team’s new facility at Rock Hill, things seem to be unraveling pretty quickly and it’s going to take a drastic turnaround in a very short space of time.

The Carolina Panthers process is clearly not going to plan

Players are not idiots. They can see the situation developing in Carolina under Rhule and if alternative options present themselves, the chances are that’s where they’ll end up.

This just turns up the pressure further on Rhule and his staff. Although this time, it’s probably not all entirely of their doing.

Restructuring Robby Anderson gives Carolina more than $33 million in cap space according to the NFLPA. So perhaps strengthening problem position groups and signing a veteran quarterback on a short-term deal would be the smart way to push things forward.

Smart is not a term that could be used to describe the Panthers lately. Rash decisions have set this organization back an untold amount and Watson rejecting them once and for all is a testament to how this has been perceived across the league.

The fans have had enough.

Lord knows most have been patient.

But with dwindling ticket sales and overall interest, something has got to change. That’s why Tepper hung his hat on getting Watson even though it would probably paint him in a really bad light.

All the Panthers can do now is dust themselves off, regroup, and go to Plan B or even Plan C in pursuit of getting some stability at the most important position on the field.

It’s back to the drawing board, again. And what comes next could define the tenures of both Tepper and Rhule if some upcoming decisions blow up in their faces.