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

David Tepper – Carolina Panthers owner

While Matt Rhule remains the target, there appears to be a growing sense of disenchantment within the fanbase surrounding team owner David Tepper. The billionaire has endured a turbulent stint at the helm since buying the Carolina Panthers from Jerry Richardson and things did not exactly get much better during the 2022 offseason.

Tepper ignored calls for major change and stuck with Rhule despite being reportedly “unhappy and embarrassed” by the seven-year, $62 million contract allocated to the man he felt could get the Panthers back to prominence, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Something that set a dangerous precedent and irked other owners across the league.

His silence was deafening and Tepper only came out in support of Rhule just before the draft. However, there is much more than just the head coach to consider when examining ownership and their current way of thinking.

Carolina’s relentless pursuit of Deshaun Watson despite the signal-caller dealing with 22 civil suits relating to sexual misconduct at the time was controversial and split the fanbase. Tepper did not care about any of that, putting winning above all morality even if the trade didn’t go in their favor.

The scrapped Rock Hill project was another demoralizing situation that painted Tepper in a bad light, especially as he bankrupted his construction company and is now being sued for damages.

Tepper has yet to experience a winning season in Carolina. If that doesn’t change next season, then the owner will come further under the microscope.