Panthers news: Dan Morgan, Jim Harbaugh, David Tepper and Ikem Ekwonu
By Dean Jones
David Tepper trolled by NFL executive
The pressure is on Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper to get things right during another hiring cycle. Cutting Frank Reich and Scott Fitterer loose within a few weeks of each other is a good start. Much more is needed, but hiring a consultancy firm on top of that indicates a willingness to shift his approach if nothing else.
Tepper is an erratic decision-maker when it comes to the Panthers. This has brought more instability to the organization than ever before. Many believe the best course of action is for the hedge fund manager to write the checks and stay out of the way moving forward.
How likely that is remains to be seen. Mike Sando of The Athletic highlighted a cheeky comment made by a veteran NFL executive, who stated speculation should already be rife about who Carolina's next interim head coach will be under Tepper.
"What will Carolina do? That one could be most interesting of all, given owner Tepper’s experience with Ron Rivera, Perry Fewell, Matt Rhule, Steve Wilks, Frank Reich and Chris Tabor in his six seasons of ownership. Tepper, who made his billions in hedge funds, trades coaches like cryptocurrency. “We should probably predict who his next interim head coach is going to be,” a veteran exec joked."
- Mike Sando, The Athletic
This is tongue-in-cheek, but it's an indictment of how Tepper is being perceived in league circles. Until he admits his methods are holding the team back, nothing will change. But this is the sort of blank canvas that could intrigue potential candidates if the billionaire is willing to change his ways.