The Carolina Panthers experienced a bit of a shift this past Monday, as head coach Frank Reich officially handed over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. So, what does the boss think about the move?
Diana Russini of The Athletic was just able to get owner David Tepper’s pulse on the change. Here’s what the senior NFL insider noted on Saturday:
The Panthers are on a bye, but when they return, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will be handling play-calling duties. I recently asked Panthers owner David Tepper about the decision to take the play calling away from coach Frank Reich and he said it’s a simple idea: “Whatever can put us in a good position to win.”
What the Panthers had been doing didn’t put them in a good position to win. Literally. Tepper’s team, through six weeks of play, sits at 0-6 while fielding the 23rd-ranked offense.
That, of course, shouldn’t be sitting well with Tepper—who has yet to see a winning campaign since buying the Panthers back in 2018. But Reich told reporters that the choice to relinquish the play-calling duties came from him, not the owner who doesn’t “sit idly by.”
“We talked about this periodically as we’ve gone on, but this is 100 percent my decision. From start to finish,” Reich said when asked about Tepper’s involvement in the decision. “But has he been involved? Yeah. I talk to him about all the things related to this team and how things play out in our weekly discussions. And as I said before, those are great discussions.”
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