5 Carolina Panthers who’ll be glad to see the back of 2022 season
By Dean Jones
David Tepper – Carolina Panthers owner
Another year, another losing season for the Carolina Panthers under David Tepper.
The billionaire has endured nothing but misery since purchasing the team from Jerry Richardson. Upon further examination, most of it is his own doing.
Tepper’s persistence to keep Matt Rhule – or even appoint him in the first place – was a grave error in judgment and left the Panthers deep within a huge hole they couldn’t emerge from in 2022. He finally saw the light after another dismal loss against the San Francisco 49ers, but the damage to morale and franchise culture went way beyond any record on the football field.
There was also the situation regarding Carolina’s supposed headquarters at Rock Hill that became another stain on Tepper’s early legacy. After settling any financial dispute out of court to avoid legal proceedings, nothing but an unfinished iron structure remains on what the owner promised to be an industry-leading, Avengers-style facility.
The time for talk and bold statements is over for Tepper. Fans have almost no confidence in his ability to successfully run an NFL franchise, so actions to restore some faith are of critical importance this offseason.
Whether Tepper can do this and stay out of his own way remains to be seen. But the owner cannot afford more misfires after a rocky start to life in Charlotte.