The Panthers entered the 2023 NFL season shrouded in optimism. The team had moved on from Matt Rhule, who proved to be an ineffective NFL coach, and added a potential franchise quarterback to the fold in Bryce Young.
The hope was that those moves would turn Carolina into a contender in the wide-open NFC South.
Instead, they find themselves not only at the bottom of the division but also sporting one of the worst records in the NFL at 1-7.
Young hasn't yet looked comfortable in the Panthers' offense, and he is coming off one of his worst games as a starter against the Colts. He threw three interceptions in that contest, including two pick-sixes to Kenny Moore in a 27-13 defeat.
MORE: Full list of rookie quarterbacks to start an NFL game in 2023
The rest of the Panthers' offense hasn't been much better. Adam Thielen has looked rejuvenated in his new home, but running back Miles Sanders has been a bust acquisition. And the team's offensive line has allowed 74 pressures on the season, good for the 10th-most in the NFL.
Indeed, Carolina's offense has been less-than-impressive in 2023. That's the main reason that coach Frank Reich finds himself under fire for the team's performance.
Reich already gave up play-calling to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown after the team's early-season struggles. Now, there are questions about whether the team's lackluster offense — which averages the fifth-fewest yards (283.4) and sixth-fewest points (17.5) per game this season — could ultimately cause owner David Tepper to move on from Reich after just one season.
Will the Panthers fire Frank Reich?
The Panthers aren't guaranteed to fire Reich even amid their poor season. But as ESPN's Adam Schefter implied on "The Pat McAfee Show," the retread coach's seat is growing hotter with each passing week.
"I don't think anybody's got a long rope there just because of the type of season that they're having," Schefter said when asked about Reich's status in Carolina.
Schefter stopped short of saying that Reich was on the hot seat. However, he detailed that owner David Tepper wouldn't be afraid to move on from Reich if he deemed it necessary for the success of his team.
"One thing about David Tepper: he's not very patient," Schefter said. "He's as successful as he is because of the way he's operated his business. And it's worked for him, basically at every level. He does what he wants. And I don't think that people are thinking that there's trouble right now with those people. But would anybody be surprised with anything that happens in Carolina this year? No."
"One thing about David Tepper is he's not very patient and he does whatever he wants..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 6, 2023
I don't think anybody would be surprised if anything happens in Carolina with the season that they're having" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/PV7bfVUtHp
Schefter pointed to Carolina's firing of Rhule as an example of Tepper's impatience. There had been rumors that the owner was going to wait things out with Rhule in the weeks leading up to his in-season departure. Instead, he decided to pull the trigger and part with him.
While Reich isn't guaranteed to meet the same fate, it's becoming clearer that he will need to deliver some wins to help earn a second season in charge of the Panthers.
And as Schefter notes, the team's "Thursday Night Football" game against the Bears may be among the most important games remaining on Carolina's schedule, as the team grapples with justifying the trade-up to select Young.
Let's keep in mind, [the Panthers] play the Bears Thursday night. The Bears have their No. 1 draft pick. So if the Bears win on Thursday, that's a huge victory and in a bigger way than just the game itself.
Again, that's not to say that Reich will be fired after Thursday's game. After all, he might not be fired at all if he can help Carolina to earn some wins during the second half of the season.
But if Tepper loses his patience with Reich, he could go back to the drawing board and bring another new head coach aboard.
MORE: Panthers' Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud decision comes under fire after Stroud's record-setting day
Frank Reich coaching record
Reich has posted a winning record of 41-40-1 in his 81 career regular-season games as a head coach. This is despite the fact that the Panthers have posted a record of just 1-7 under his watch this season.
The reason for this is that Reich had a solid four-plus-year stint with the Colts. He had three winning seasons during his five campaigns in Indianapolis and totaled a record of 40-33-1 with the team despite dealing with numerous changes at the quarterback position.
Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Reich's record with the Colts and Panthers.
| Year | Team | Record |
| 2018 | Colts | 10-6 |
| 2019 | Colts | 7-9 |
| 2020 | Colts | 11-5 |
| 2021 | Colts | 9-8 |
| 2022 | Colts* | 3-5-1 |
| 2023 | Panthers | 1-7 |
| Total | Colts/Panthers | 41-40-1 |
* Fired after Week 9 of the season.
Reich made it to the postseason in two of his first three seasons with the Colts. The team posted a record of 1-2 in three contests across those two appearances.
It's also worth noting that Reich has had a different Week 1 starter at quarterback in each of his first six seasons as a head coach. He was hoping to break that streak with Young in Carolina, but he will need to first make it to a seventh season with the club.
