Frank

Reich

Frank Reich was recently fired as head coach of the Panthers, who are 1-10 after drafting QB Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson received head coaching interest from the Panthers last off-season, but had declined an interview and chose to stay in Detroit. Reich, who was hired by the Panthers instead, is now out after 11 games and the 37-year-old Johnson is expected to receive interest for the Panthers’ head coaching vacancy again.

Heading into Week 11, FOX’s Jay Glazer reported Reich was on the “hottest seat in the league.” A Week 12 loss to the Titans was likely the boiling point for the front office and owner David Tepper, who was reportedly heard shouting expletives while leaving the locker room. We may not ever fully know who was responsible for the disaster that has unfolded in Carolina this season, but No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young’s struggles have been well documented and amplified by the fact that No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud has thrived early with the Texans. Rumors are Stroud was the preferred pick over Young by Reich and the staff, but the selection of Young came directly from Tepper. Still, Carolina’s issues extend beyond their rookie quarterback. The Panthers are among the worst pass-blocking units in the league and boast a defense that’s allowing the third-most points per game (26.5). Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor is expected to take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, with the Panthers expected to make a run at Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in the offseason. A premium head coaching candidate could be tough to come by with the Panthers not having a first round pick in 2024, and Tepper now moving on to his third head coach in four seasons.

Garfolo added that he doesn’t get the sense Reich will be a one-and-done head coach for the Panthers. Hired to be the offensive mind behind rookie quarterback Bryce Young, Reich hasn’t been able to produce the results owner David Tepper is looking for, leading many to believe he will be fired by the end of the season. For now, Tepper and GM Scott Fitterer appear to be standing behind their head coach, though that could change before the end of the season.

Speaking on FOX NFL Sunday, Galzer said what we all know. If something doesn’t change on the field in Charlotte, changes will be made off the field. The Panthers are 1-8, don’t have their own first-round pick next year, and the player they sent that pick off to acquire, Bryce Young, is imploding as a rookie. Reich has already shown signs of desperation, passing off play-calling duties to OC Thomas Brown only to take them back from him after a few weeks. Young has made more than his fair share of mistakes, but the Panthers are pot-committed to him for a few years. Reich, though likely expensive to fire, is more expendable than Young. If Carolina’s offense doesn’t show signs of life soon Reich will be on his way out.

In October, Reich relinquished play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. At the time, the Panthers were ranked 23rd in both points per game (18.7) and yards per game (294.7). Since that time, Carolina has scored just two touchdowns in 30 drives with Brown calling plays. They now rank 29th with 17.0 points per game and 26th with 185.2 yards per game.

This is reportedly a decision made by Reich, who will now hand over duties to Brown heading into the Panthers’ bye week. Brown was hired by the Panthers earlier this offseason after previously serving as the Rams’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach. A young, highly-coveted play-caller, Brown will now be tasked with turning around an offense that’s ranked 23rd in both points per game (18.7) and yards per game (294.7). With an extra week to prepare for their Week 8 matchup against the Texans, we’ll see if the Panthers can show any signs of life with Brown as the play-caller.

This is good news for early drafters taking shots on the likes of Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud in early best ball drafts. After acquiring the No. 1 overall pick from the Bears earlier this month, Reich said he plans on meeting with each of the top-four quarterbacks in the 2023 class for a top-30 visit prior to the draft. Additionally, he also downplayed concerns over Young’s height when asked about how that could affect his decision to draft him. The Panthers recently signed Andy Dalton to a two-year contract earlier this offseason, giving the team a capable starter should their rookie not be ready to start Week 1.

The move gives Frank Reich the chance to handpick the next face of Carolina’s franchise. He was a sound offensive coach in Indianapolis but never figured out the most position in football, cycling through Jacoby Brissett, Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan following Andrew Luck’s retirement. Most draft pundits have Alabama’s Bryce Young as the top quarterback prospect in the draft, but Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Florida’s Anthony Richardson will be options for the Panthers. For Chicago, the move fills their extreme need at receiver and allows them to add more talent on either side of the ball. Already having found their future at quarterback with Justin Fields, they had no reason to stay put at the top of the draft.

Reich deferred to the idea that he could hand off play calling at some point, likely to OC Thomas Brown, but told reporters that “the right thing for me to do for our team and for our offense right now is for me to continue to kind of use my experience.” The main fantasy weapons in Carolina could be a sneaky bet to bump up their production in 2023, especially if the Panthers are able to reel in an upgrade at quarterback. Last year’s faceplant exempted, Reich has shown that he’s one of the better play callers in the NFL in Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

Reich proved a pretty formidable play caller in Indianapolis for most of his tenure, though it fell apart in 2022 without a real running attack. The Panthers have not committed to retaining Ben McAdoo as offensive coordinator just yet, but they also haven’t interviewed anybody else for the OC role as of this moment. It’s most likely something that won’t be settled until they settle the OC situation, but Reich would be a good choice for value at Carolina’s skill positions in fantasy.