— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 27, 2023
Reich was hired this offseason thanks largely to his success as an offensive coordinator with quarterbacks Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and even Nick Foles. Most notably, he won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, coaching Foles to a postseason for the ages that included earning Super Bowl LII MVP. Reich even had some previous success as a head coach, leading the Indianapolis Colts to three winning seasons before being fired after Week 9 of the 2022 season.
Reich was the first acquisition of an aggressive offseason for the Panthers that included an expensive trade-up for the first overall pick. Unfortunately, those moves have quickly proved disastrous for the Panthers: they've stumbled to a 1-10 record and rank dead last in the league in net yards per passing attempt at 4.20. That number would be even worse if first-overall pick quarterback Bryce Young hadn't missed time; he's sitting on a truly heinous 4.02 net yards per pass attempt.
Worst of all, the Panthers overextended themselves to acquire Young. In order to jump from 9th overall in the 2023 draft to first, they traded away wide receiver D.J. Moore (889 receiving yards through 11 games with the Chicago Bears this year) and next year's first-round pick, which is currently projected to be first overall. It's no wonder heads are rolling in Carolina.
The 2023 season is already lost for the Panthers, and they must look forward. Their next coach will have the unenviable task of fixing a deeply flawed offense and rescuing Young's already tenuous career as a starter. That could be a multi-year project. The Panthers probably won't have their pick of the litter among coaching candidates.
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