When Panthers owner David Tepper bought the team a couple of years ago, he made it pretty clear that he would not tolerate losing for long. In his introductory press conference, Tepper famously declared that his top three priorities were winning, winning and winning.
Since then, the organization has undergone more changes than any other team in the NFL. Beginning with the firing of former coach Ron Rivera last December, continuing with the massive 2020 offseason purge of the roster and culminating in today’s sudden dismissal of general manager Marty Hurney, Tepper’s influence has officially turned the team upside down.
In the end, Hurney didn’t give Tepper much of a choice. While he has been more than adept at finding elite talents in the first round of the draft, the rest of the job proved far more difficult for Hurney. The team’s record during his two tenures as GM was well under the .500 mark and his confusing, outdated team-building philosophy played a major role in that disappointment.
Until a change was made, Carolina was likely to continue floundering as a mediocre or low-quality team compared to the competition.
There’s no guarantee whoever replaces Hurney will be a brilliant GM who carries the franchise to its first Super Bowl win. What was clear was that the Panthers had gone as for as Hurney could take them.
This development solidifies coach Matt Rhule’s status as the face of the organization and the most powerful person in the building aside from Tepper. He still has six more years left after this season on his contract, which makes him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
While Rhule’s early 4-10 record might indicate that he’s going to struggle at this level after a successful college career, the early signs show Rhule does know what he’s doing. That means today’s news should be celebrated by Carolina fans who are eager to see the franchise become a contender again.
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