Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines after the team's embarrassing defeat at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17?
After a relatively promising fortnight, the Carolina Panthers reverted to type. Their shutout loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars was uninspired from start to finish. Almost everyone took a collective step backward. Following the contest, team owner David Tepper brought more disgrace to the organization.
As expected, there was a lot to unpack in the wake of Carolina's 14th loss of the campaign. The stories causing debate include Derrick Brown's resolve, Bryce Young's frustration, the Panthers' draft dismay, and Tepper's shameful act.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers draft dismay
After suffering a road reverse to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals pulling off a shock triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Carolina Panthers officially locked up the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the franchise, they'll be giving that away.
The Chicago Bears are officially on the clock following their trade with the Panthers. The deal for quarterback Bryce Young also included wide receiver D.J. Moore, who twisted the knife by cheekily thanking Carolina for being so pathetic throughout the season.
"I mean, s--t, I feel I was the number 1 pick when they traded for me. But, I mean, thanks to Carolina, that's all I can say to that."D.J. Moore via X/Twitter
Nobody in the building thought they would have to give up the No. 1 pick. This is an absolute embarrassment whichever way one looks at it. Something that doesn't look favorable on general manager Scott Fitterer and other influential figures who were beyond delighted with their offseason recruitment.
Derrick Brown's resolve
Sunday was a frustrating one for almost everyone associated with the Carolina Panthers. There was hope they could galvanize themselves to a first road win of the campaign considering the Jacksonville Jaguars were without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It ended up being another complete capitulation.
Derrick Brown was one of the very few to emerge with any credit once again. The defensive lineman is enjoying a phenomenal season, but his temper flared after an altercation with offensive tackle Cam Robinson that saw both key players ejected from the clash.
Brown was remorseful post-game based on comments via the team's website. The former first-round pick out of Auburn is also looking for a strong end to the season with one game remaining in pursuit of salvaging some positivity before everyone goes their separate ways.
"I mostly got hot at that moment myself. You know, things got out of whack, so I definitely should not have done it. Hurt the team. I wish we could play more, to be honest. I feel like we've got a lot to show. You know, unfortunately, this season didn't go the way we wanted it to. I'll tell you what, man, there's a lot of great, great men here that fight; fought all year."Derrick Brown via Panthers.com
That'll be easier said than done, one suspects. The Panthers looked devoid of confidence and inspiration in Week 17. In truth, it's been the tale of the 2023 campaign for a team that boldly claimed they were ready to drop in a quarterback and take off.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young's frustration
After the best game of his fledgling professional career against the Green Bay Packers, it wasn't smooth sailing for Bryce Young in Week 17. He wasn't alone in that regard, but things just didn't click offensively once again en route to a dismal shutout loss in the Florida sunshine.
Young couldn't hide his emotion during the game, throwing a tablet on the sideline and cutting a forlorn figure throughout. As always, the No. 1 pick was accountable for his disappointing performance after the contest via the team's website. If others took the same approach, the Carolina Panthers might not be in this mess.
"(Jaguars) have a really good front, really good scheme. Definitely respect them. But it's a group effort. I could do a better job of getting the ball out quicker, more effective communication, making the right calls to put us in the best situations, to put everyone up front in the best situations so we're going to the right ball."Bryce Young via Panthers.com
The former Alabama star is probably desperate for his rookie campaign to end. He's taken incredible punishment, has almost no consistent pass-catching presence aside from Adam Thielen, and cannot seem to string together the consistency needed to thrive.
If the Panthers don't hire the correct people and do right by the signal-caller this offseason - especially considering what they gave up to acquire Young - it's nothing short of malpractice and incompetence.
David Tepper's shameful act
This was one loss too many for Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper. The petulant billionaire brought more shame to the franchise with a despicable act. Something that could lead to repercussions if league officials including commissioner Roger Goodell see fit.
Tepper was videoed allegedly throwing his drink on a Jacksonville Jaguars fan before storming out of his lavish suite. Everyone - including beleaguered general manager Scott Fitterer - stood in disbelief. This is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents where the owner is concerned since he bought the Panthers from Jerry Richardson.
A bit different of a mood from him after the game https://t.co/DP68vKx1U5 pic.twitter.com/llOqHXS4yI
— Med (@Kahuna_Med) December 31, 2023
An NFL spokesman stated after the game that the league was aware of the incident and wouldn't be commenting at this time. After hours of waiting for a response, the Panthers declined to comment entirely.
It's a terrible look and does nothing to dispel the notion of Tepper being the NFL's worst owner now that Dan Snyder is out of the equation. He's disgraced himself on countless occasions. His constant meddling in football affairs has seen the Panthers go from a respectable outfit to the league's laughing stock.
It'll be interesting to see what comes from this. Any self-respecting person would issue a statement apologizing. But as we all know, Tepper is not one to place blame on himself as an egotist who constantly needs reassurance and pandering.
The worst thing for fans? They're stuck with him.