How steep will the learning curve be?
First-year head coaches in the NFL face a lot of challenges even under normal circumstances. Matt Rhule may be inheriting an unprecedented situation, though.
Not only has he taken over a team that went 5-11 last year (fourth place in the NFC South), but a roster that lost several defensive starters this offseason, including Luke Kuechly and practically every defensive lineman except for Kawann Short and Brian Burns.
Now, Rhule has to get everybody all on the same page without the benefit of a traditional offseason program. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rhule has had to coach up his new players virtually. In other words? It might take some time for this new-look Panthers team to jell.
The good news is this is exactly what Rhule was hired for. It took him just two years to turn around floundering programs at Temple and Baylor in his previous stops. Competing in 2020 will be a tall order in a stacked division, but if the team can make significant strides in the second half of the season, it will be a positive sign of what’s to come in the Rhule era.