5 scapegoats if things go wrong for the Carolina Panthers in 2022

Matt Rhule – Carolina Panthers HC

Perhaps the biggest scapegoat of all, if the Carolina Panthers cannot become competitive in 2022, will be Matt Rhule. Many fans were calling for a change in 2021 after the team failed to build on a positive start to accumulate just five wins once again, which left some significant questions about just which direction the team is heading under the former Baylor man.

Rhule was unable to make competent in-game adjustments, made some bizarre statements in front of the media, and handled the quarterback situation terribly in 2021. When one puts all these factors together, it’s not hard to see why Carolina lost 12 of their final 14 games.

It’s been a tough offseason of rumors surrounding his future, even though Rhule always appeared confident that he had the full support of David Tepper. There has been an injection of coaches with legitimate NFL experience this spring and the team’s more methodical approach to recruitment could be a sign that general manager Scott Fitterer is becoming increasingly influential on the personnel side.

Rhule himself has declared a desire to become closer with his players, providing additional responsibilities to veterans and aiming for those on the roster to become bigger parts of the process along the way.

Hopefully, this shift in ethos will pay off when it counts. But if the Panthers fail to meet some attainable targets in 2022, Rhule’s position might become untenable.