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We are just about a quarter of the way into the 2023-24 NFL season, and the Carolina Panthers, are still looking for their first win of the season. Carolina entered the season with hopes of competing for an NFC South division title and ending the longest playoff drought in the history of the franchise. After the 0-4 start, it looks like Carolina will have to wait until next season to compete once again in the division, and in the conference as well.
Simply put, the start of the Frank Reich era hasn’t been what we were promised, let alone expected. After moving on from Matt Rhule, and putting together the best coaching staff arguably in the NFL, Carolina was supposed to be a well-oiled machine, but instead have failed to dive the speed limit, getting left behind on Sunday afternoons.
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Joe Person has covered the Panthers for a long time now and knows the franchise as any beat reporter in the NFL, and earlier today, he joined the Wes & Walker Show on WFNZ, to talk about the Panthers rough start. Person did make it known that it’s entirely way too early to overreact and that he hasn’t lost faith in Bryce Young as a potential franchise QB, or Frank Reich as a play caller in the NFL. He also said that Brian Burns is going to be a trade candidate again, although the package won’t be as steep as it was last season, when the Rams offered multiple first-round picks, along with a second-round pick.
The most interesting thing that Person commented on was the owner David Tepper, who has long been accused of being a meddling owner. Well Person, all but confirmed that saying, “He’s very involved. And any owner would be involved when you have the #1 pick. But you don’t want to get so involved, that the football people feel like they can’t pick their guy.” He of course was responding to Tepper’s involvement in the last draft, which saw the Panthers draft Bryce Young, over a guy like CJ Stroud, who fit the type of quarterback, Frank Reich prefers. We’ll never know how much of a role Tepper had in the ultimate selection of Young, as both GM Scott Fitterer, and Reich have drooled over Young’s potential, but Tepper continues to prove that he’s not capable of removing himself from football decisions, which is a direct correlation to what’s happening on the gridiron every Sunday.
You can catch the Wes & Walker Show, every weekday from 12-3 PM, on Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ, and the WFNZ app.