4 positives and negatives from the Carolina Panthers hiring Frank Reich

(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) Frank Reich
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) Frank Reich /
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(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports) Frank Reich and Matt Ryan /

Carolina Panthers get a proven QB developer

Once the head coaching search began, the message was clear. If Steve Wilks was not going to be hired by the Carolina Panthers, the appointment would likely be an offensive-minded figurehead who can work with quarterbacks.

Frank Reich is a perfect fit.

Before becoming Indianapolis Colts head coach, Reich was with the Philadelphia Eagles as the offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season. The same campaign when Carson Wentz played at an MVP level and Nick Foles did just enough not to become a problem.

With the Colts, Reich worked with Andrew Luck for one season. And they fielded a top-10 offense overall.

In his other four seasons with the Colts, they had offensive rankings of

  • 2019: 25th in yards, 16th in scoring
  • 2020: 10th in yards, 9th in scoring
  • 2021: 16th in yards, 9th in scoring
  • 2022 (9 games under Reich): 27th in yards, 30th in scoring

These ups and downs of the offensive output can be attributed to inconsistency under center after the shock retirement of Luck. If Reich has a good quarterback, his offense will perform at a high level.

Reich is a proven offensive guru in the NFL. Whoever is under center for Carolina in 2023 will be thrilled to work with a former quarterback and a coach who knows how to scheme things up effectively.