4 big takeaways from David Tepper’s presser after Matt Rhule’s firing

What were the big takeaways from Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper’s presser in the wake of head coach Matt Rhule’s firing?

David Tepper was sent out to face the music after the Carolina Panthers owner fired head coach Matt Rhule on Monday. Something that forced the billionaire to admit a grave error in judgment by placing so much faith in the former Baylor man, to begin with.

The Panthers were going nowhere fast under Rhule. Confidence was non-existent within the fanbase and losing four of their first five contests in 2022 left Tepper with no option other than to end this experiment early.

Tepper had not spoken with the media since publicly supporting Rhule shortly before the 2022 NFL Draft. And the media in attendance were in no mood to give the owner an easy ride after so much radio silence in recent months.

With this in mind, here are four key takeaways from Tepper’s presser in the wake of Rhule being removed from his duties.

Big Takeaway No. 1

David Tepper’s confidence in Steve Wilks

There appeared to be a significant amount of confidence in Steve Wilks to restore pride back into the Carolina Panthers. The hugely respected coach takes over from Matt Rhule on an interim basis and will get a good sample size to prove worthy of consideration for the permanent job.

David Tepper indicated that Wilks could become head coach long-term if everything goes well. Although the owner will likely cast the net far and wide to finally find someone capable of leading this franchise back to prominence.

"“Steve is a leader of men. He has experience as a head coach, and I thought he’s the best candidate in the building for that role. He’s in a position to be in consideration for that position.”"

Everyone will be pulling in the same direction under Wilks. But the task awaiting him is significant and especially with yet another injury at the quarterback position.