4 former Panthers players that should follow Jeff Saturday’s lead
By Dean Jones
Which former Carolina Panthers players should follow Jeff Saturday’s lead and explore head coaching avenues despite their lack of experience?
The NFL world was shaken to its core on Monday when the Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich and appointed Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach. Although supremely intelligent and highly respected in league circles, the two-time All-Pro has no professional coaching experience and this move was the subject of fierce debate with analysts and fans around the country.
Jim Irsay isn’t afraid to go against the grain. But considering the presence of figures such as former Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox on the Colts’ staff, it was a bizarre move that could indicate Indianapolis is looking forward to 2023.
This decision – although controversial – received widespread support among ex-players. Many of them feel like a quicker path into head coaching roles should be available after giving their all on the field, which is justified depending on candidate viability.
Could this shift the goalposts for Carolina during their thought process to replace Matt Rhule? Possibly, but there’s just no telling for sure where unpredictable owner David Tepper is concerned.
With this in mind, here are four former Panthers players that should follow Saturday’s lead and onto the head coaching path.
Former Player No. 1
Thomas Davis – Former Carolina Panthers LB
Things haven’t been the same since Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly left the Carolina Panthers. Their defensive production – especially against the run – has decreased significantly without two prominent figures at the second level, with their ability to lead and high motivational traits sorely missed to this day.
Davis is enjoying life away from the gridiron and has been seen around the Panthers facility in recent months. Whether this is something that could benefit the Panthers or another team is debatable, but the Georgia product possesses all the knowledge and respect needed to potentially make a go of things down the line.