6 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of Week 5

Matt Rhule’s job security

What will be the last straw for us to get rid of Matt Rhule? What’s holding our organization from pulling the trigger? – Tristan Bennett

Thank you for your question, Tristan! This will be a topic for discussion for weeks to come. When will Matt Rhule be relieved as head coach? Why hasn’t he been fired yet?

Let’s discuss this in length. What will it take for David Tepper to fire Rhule?

First of all, it’s way too early to send Rhule from the Carolina Panthers. Why? It’s unprecedented to fire a head coach this early in the season. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles and on Twitter, the earliest someone has been relieved of their duties was Bill O’Brien in 2019.

Second of all, the Panthers have been in every game they’ve lost, including this past weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. There’s some optimism that the offense can turn things around quickly and compete for an NFC South title.

Yes, I know that sounds unrealistic. However, this is coming from the perspective of the team and quite possibly Tepper himself.

Listen, the offense is inadequate. It’s not a good unit right now. However, one spark in any of the next few games could begin a winning streak. This may sound crazy. Even so, Carolina has gotten better from a game management perspective and within the trenches.

Yet, it may not be enough. There’s certainly a possibility the Panthers could dispose of Rhule during their Week 13 bye to get a head start for the head coaching gig. The earliest I can see Tepper pulling the trigger is at the halfway mark if it happens at all.

Panthers fans, it might be a long season. We’ll see what happens on this front in the coming weeks and how patient Tepper truly is.