David Tepper Supports Panthers Decision To Fire Coach Frank Reich

In a 14-minute press conference on Tuesday, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper defended the team’s choice to choose quarterback Bryce Young with the first selection and refuted reports that he lacked patience. However, Tepper never provided an explanation for his decision to remove coach Frank Reich.

David Tepper Supports Panthers Decision To Fire Coach Frank Reich

After a 1-10 season, Reich was dismissed on Monday. Some said the Panthers erred in selecting Young in April over C.J. Stroud, who was taken No. 2 by the Houston Texans and is having an MVP-caliber season.

After Reich was fired, the Panthers owner told reporters that he trusted the coaches and scouts to make the quarterback selection.

“Just the way our processes go here, I’ll say this really plain, on all those decisions  whether it was the head coach, whether it was Bryce, I don’t really vote on those decisions until it’s the last piece,” Tepper said during a press conference in Charlotte. “OK? So those decisions are made by the football people. Now, look, everything that’s right and everything that’s wrong here is my fault. I have the final say.

“But as far as those decisions, whether it’s Frank Reich or it’s Bryce Young, those decisions were made. And in the case of Bryce, I believe it was almost, I believe it was a unanimous decision from the coaches and the scouts. And very strong opinions at the time.”

In a 14-minute press conference on Tuesday, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper defended the team’s choice to choose quarterback Bryce Young with the first selection and refuted reports that he lacked patience. However, Tepper never provided an explanation for his decision to remove coach Frank Reich.After just 11 games as Carolina’s head coach, Frank Reich was fired.

Panthers Remain Committed to Bryce Young

“I’ve always said, I like C.J. Stroud a lot. I liked that whole quarterback draft. I think they were all really good prospects and I think they’re all going to have really good NFL careers,” Reich said recently.

“My eyes and our eyes were on Bryce Young from start to finish. You look at the film, you talk to the man, you get a sense for the leader, the player, what he is and what he can be and how he fits into what we want to do, we got the guy for us.”

The decision was made in the midst of a dismal 1-10 start for rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who had made little improvement. The last straw came from Carolina’s 17-10 loss to the Titans on Sunday in Tennessee, which brought the team’s record to 30-63 under Tepper.

Tepper stated that the team’s record is insufficient and that he will stop at nothing to deliver championship football to the Queen City.

Chris Tabor, the special teams coordinator, was named the team’s temporary head coach on Monday. Reich was dismissed along with assistants Josh McCown and Duce Staley. Senior assistant Jim Caldwell was assigned to the position of “special advisor” to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.

Tepper stated that he respects the supporters’ fervor for the team’s success and that he is aware of their displeasure. He justified his actions as an owner by citing internal improvements that have been done to raise the franchise’s overall performance, even though the public isn’t able to see them.

For Bryce Young, what did the Panthers trade?

In order to choose Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers sold their first-round (No. 9) and second-round (61) selections from 2023 to the Bears in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 (now No. 2) and receiver DJ Moore, their first-round selection from 2018.

 

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