4 primary scapegoats from the Carolina Panthers 2022 season
By Dean Jones
David Tepper – Carolina Panthers owner
There hasn’t been much for David Tepper to cheer since buying the Carolina Panthers from Jerry Richardson. This $2.2 billion purchase came with bold statements about making the organization an industry leader on and off the field, but it’s been anything but under his controversial ownership.
Tepper’s decision to persist with Matt Rhule after a second-straight season with five wins came back to bite him. The Panthers stumbled their way through the first five contests before the billionaire eventually pulled the plug, which gave Steve Wilks a substantial mountain to climb over Carolina’s remaining fixtures.
One could say Tepper deserves credit for finally coming to his senses. But this did nothing to improve Carolina’s hopes of a first winning campaign since he assumed command of the franchise.
Another cloud that hung over Tepper this season was the farcical headquarters project at Rock Hill. After a dispute with city officials, the plug was pulled on the construction site, with the owner bankrupting his building company and settling out of court to alleviate any legal ramifications that could have come his way.
After so much turmoil, it’s not hard to see why confidence surrounding Tepper is at an all-time low. That’s why making the correct decisions this offseason is of paramount importance.