4 Carolina Panthers running out of time to secure new deals in 2023

Sean Ryan – Carolina Panthers QB coach

Matt Rhule carried the can for the failed personnel moves at football’s most important position. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s also been criticized heavily throughout the campaign, but one influential figure seems to be avoiding extra scrutiny despite the Carolina Panthers’ failings under center.

Quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan came into the franchise with a strong reputation. He’s progressed the likes of Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford into top performers during his career, but this magic hasn’t made a successful transition to Carolina over the last two years.

Whether it’s Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, or P.J. Walker, the results have largely been the same. Perhaps these signal-callers were past the point of no return in terms of development, which makes Matt Corral’s preseason injury even more disappointing from Ryan’s point of view.

The NFL is all about making the most of the talent at your disposal. Darnold looks comfortable more often than not, so how the player performs over Carolina’s remaining fixtures will have implications for Ryan too.

Maybe Ryan’s future is dependent on whether or not Steve Wilks keeps the head coaching job beyond 2022. There is growing support within the organization that reportedly hasn’t wavered in the wake of their loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but if David Tepper looks elsewhere then the quarterback guru is also likely to be seeking alternative employment.