Panthers fans have earned the right to feel upset, discouraged and even heartbroken over the team's dismal performance over the past several years.
Carolina's last winning season came in 2017 and ended with a Wild Card loss. Since then, things haven't been so fun. However, Charlotte residents have learned to find the light in the team's dark days.
From poking fun at the team online to even booing their own players, Carolina's faithful look for humor in any situation.
One business is well-known for its trolling of the team on a road sign. It didn't even take an hour after starting quarterback Bryce Young was benched for backup Andy Dalton on Monday for Dilworth Neighborhood Grille in Charlotte to take a shot at the Panthers using its message board.
Here's everything to know about the local restaurant that made fun of the Panthers with brutal Bryce Young stats.
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Charlotte restaurant trolls the Panthers
Charlotte Observer reporter Scott Fowler tweeted a photo of the sign outside Dilworth Neighborhood Grille just 30 minutes after the quarterback news came out. Already, it listed the current records of four Carolina products: Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (2022 Panthers), Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (2021-22 Panthers), Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule (Panthers head coach 2020-22) and just-benched quarterback Young.
Obviously, the restaurant's point was to draw attention to Young's rough start this season by comparing him to those who have been affiliated with Carolina in the past.
Check out the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille's new sign (photo credit @Joshpberg).
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) September 16, 2024
You may remember one of these signs once got owner David Tepper into the restaurant for a conversation. Well, DNG is still at it. (And Young, meanwhile, is getting benched). pic.twitter.com/cfPccg8gur
Several people have posted photos of the sign on social media since and it is making the rounds online. However, this isn't the first time Dilworth Neighborhood Grille has participated in Panthers slander.
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David Tepper-Dilworth Neighborhood relationship, explained
On the night of the 2024 NFL Draft, the restaurant's sign read "Please let the coach & GM pick this year," poking fun at the Panthers front office for picking Young first overall the previous year. The message was targeted at the team's owner David Tepper, who has been rumored to involve himself more than is necessary in making roster decisions since he bought the team in 2018.
Shortly after the sign went up, Tepper visited the Grille to confront the manager and ask who was responsible for the sign. The manager was not in at the time, but the employee who interacted with Tepper said he "was pleasant about it." The restaurant caught surveillance video of the interaction.
'LET THE COACH AND GM PICK' 🏈: Surveillance footage captured the moment @Panthers owner David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant after a sign was put up prior to the NFL Draft.
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) April 26, 2024
Full story: https://t.co/tYPhlekttU pic.twitter.com/tc0eihPAkT
Just a few days after the owner paid Dilworth Neighborhood Grille a visit, the restaurant had updated its sign to read "Hats off to the new Panthers." The message came in reference to Tepper taking the hat off of an employee while at the restaurant.
Swung by before work to snag a pic today pic.twitter.com/7XyQMsF5pi
— David Scott (@DavidSc17628255) May 1, 2024
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Bryce Young stats
Here's a look at Young's passing stats through his brief career in the NFL so far:
Year | Games | Comp. % | Yards | TDs | INTs | AVG | Rating |
2023 | 16 | 59.8% | 2,877 | 11 | 10 | 5.5 | 73.7 |
2024 | 2 | 55.4% | 245 | 0 | 3 | 7.9 | 44.1 |