SBK Edge Rush: Will Matt Rhule's exit lead to a head coach exodus?

The Matt Rhule Experiment – which sounds like a band I played in during the early noughties – is over in Carolina. 

No-nonsense Panthers owner (what other kind is there?) David Tepper, who made his fortune as a hedge funder, pulled the cord after two-and-a-bit unhappy seasons, which saw the former Baylor head coach lurch to an 11-27 record. 

Rhule is the first coaching casualty of the season, after particularly suffering from a succession of post-Cam Newton quarterback gambles gone wrong. Teddy Bridgewater was perhaps the most logical – a former starter for the Vikings, whose 5-0 cameo at New Orleans when Drew Brees was injured landed him a big-buck deal in Carolina.

But Teddy lasted just one disappointing season, and Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer rolled the dice on former first-rounder turned New York bust Sam Darnold. Eyebrows were raised, the inevitable hipster columns suggesting it was a genius move appeared, and Darnold ultimately flamed out.

And so the Panthers rolled into Rhule’s third off-season on the hunt for another new signal caller. Buzz about Jimmy Garoppolo sustained but led to nothing, with the 49ers QB’s injury slowing his trade pace. 

Despite the Panthers holding a top-ten draft pick in 2021, they didn’t take a quarterback, and the QB-light draft class of ’22 provided limited options. Eventually, Baker Mayfield landed at the 11th hour, the equivalent of doubling down on race number three to claw back your losses from the first two. 

Things are so dysfunctional in Carolina that the flawed but immensely watchable and exciting Mayfield has regressed to Darnold levels of dullness, and enough was enough for Tepper, who yanked his man. 

Rhule came into the gig with lots of hype – not dissimilar to when Chip Kelly came from the college ranks to Philadelphia – with talk of next-gen offence and game-changing innovation. Chip didn’t work out, and now Carolina too must look at rebuilding again.

For how much longer will Carolina hang on to their one superstar, Christian McCaffrey?

They currently have a lacklustre roster, which may be further depleted if they trade their only bona-fide super star - the brilliant but oft-injured Christian McCaffrey - before the trade deadline. The Panthers have got the edge on other teams who may ultimately pull the plug later on – this is the upside of the turbulence caused by jettisoning a coach mid-season, which doesn’t happen too often – but it’ll be a long, cold winter for them. 

The 2023 draft is quarterback-rich, and Carolina will almost certainly have a top-five pick – so the appeal for a new head coach (caretaker Steve Wilkes is most likely a placeholder) will be apparent, if they can mould an identity around their guy.

Other coaches looking over their shoulder include Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, who continue to flatter to deceive. The Cardinals may run out of patience if they don’t make a decent play-off run this year, particularly as they’ve invested so heavily in Kyler Murray.

Nathaniel Hackett may be one and done in Denver, if he can’t breathe some life into the Broncos offence, although I’m confident Russell Wilson will come good despite the ever-increasing contingent of doubters. 

Frank Reich needs to work similar magic in Indy – the Colts going into week six rank dead last in offensive DVOA – whilst Josh McDaniels will surely get another year in Vegas, but has got off to a deeply disappointing start with the Raiders. 

Lovie Smith seemed a curious appointment for Houston, in so far as moving on from David Culley – who was one and done after last year despite a competent return with a poor roster – implied a switch to a clear vision, but Lovie feels more like another short-term play. 

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Mike Tomlin is obviously safe in Pittsburgh no matter how bad this season becomes – and he won’t let it get too bad, for that matter – but more precarious is Dan Campbell’s position in Detroit. Neutrals the league over wish them well, such is their passion and energy, but it looks like another underperforming year for the Lions. 

Pete Carroll, like his long-standing counterpart Bill Belichick in New England, will dictate terms of when he leaves, and the Seahawks have been scrappy and better than advertised. Another seasoned vet, Ron Rivera, could be numbered in Washington though, despite their win on TNF against the Bears – surely one of the worst games in recent memory – giving them hope. 

At this stage of the season, it’s the hope that kills – many teams clearly not good enough to get to the postseason, but staying in contention, are hanging around with false hope. In that respect, David Tepper is under no illusion and Panthers fans may thank him long term for his conviction.

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