After years of misery, Carolina Panthers fans deserve 2023 NFL Draft moment
By Dean Jones
After years of abject failure under previous regimes, tonight is one for celebration as the Carolina Panthers land their franchise quarterback at No. 1.
It's been a long time since Carolina Panthers fans had anything legitimate to cheer. There was a brief moment of hope last season when interim head coach Steve Wilks got his team to within touching distance of a shock NFC South, but it finished as it always does - with immense disappointment.
Carolina's glory days of the mid-2010s seem like a distant memory. Most legendary figures from that team are long gone, which was followed by a torrid three years under Matt Rhule, who was never cut out for the NFL and got much longer than he deserved in the role.
Rhule's personnel mismanagement, terrible in-game adjustments, and holding almost no accountability for his failings disenchanted the fanbase more than ever. David Tepper eventually saw the light, but everything that came before was a damning indictment of how his ownership was unfolding after so many big promises once his purchase for a then-record $2.2 billion got the green light.
One only has to look at the empty seats at Bank of America Stadium to see that something drastic was needed. Thankfully, this was also recognized by those in power, who have been extremely aggressive in pursuit of restoring pride back to Panthers football this offseason.
Frank Reich's appointment as Carolina's head coach came with an all-star staff and plenty of intriguing veterans acquired on team-friendly deals in free agency. If that wasn't enough, general manager Scott Fitterer landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after a bombshell trade with the Chicago Bears.
Fitterer gets his chance to draft and develop a quarterback - something he's wanted since joining the Panthers but was denied the opportunity by Rhule. There is a consensus within the building that seems to be leaning towards Bryce Young, the former Alabama star who has all the talent needed to get things trending in the right direction.
Following years of languishing in irrelevancy, Carolina is in the limelight once again. Perhaps this is a strange feeling for fans, but it's one they should cherish.
After all, how many times does this sort of thing happen?
Debates have been heated about which quarterback the Panthers should take. Most of these missed the bigger picture, but what cannot be disputed is the level of optimism surrounding Carolina that hasn't been there for some time.
It's time for Panthers fans to start enjoying their football again. Not only what happens on the gridiron, but everything associated with the game.
Press conferences. Practices. Training camps. And potentially the playoffs if everything goes according to plan.
Misery and complaining are often addictive if endured for long enough. There are going to be some bumps in the road - nothing in the NFL comes easy - but this moment is for all those Panthers fans who've gone through significant hardship, lost their heroes, and had to sit through some of the worst football in franchise history under Rhule.
The good times are returning. How quickly depends on Young's transition more than anything else, but Carolina now has a stable, long-term plan in place for sustainable success after countless quick fixes and band-aids failed to bring the right rewards.
That's why tonight is one for celebration. And everyone can be thankful for that.