C.J. Stroud's Hot Start Played a Factor in Reich's Firing, Per Report

Bryce Young has showed little to no progress throughout his ten starts with the Carolina Panthers this season. The thing is, you can't really pin much of the team's offensive struggles on the rookie. The offensive line has been atrocious, the wide receiver play has been underwhelming to say the least, and he's operated an offense that doesn't cater to his strengths, which is partially why Reich is no longer the head coach.

Another factor into Tepper's decision, is the red-hot start that Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud is off to.

“Stroud’s early success 100 percent played into Tepper’s decision to fire Frank Reich. We all felt the pressure and frustrations,” a Panthers source told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. “It’s hard to step in and carry the weight of a franchise, and Bryce has it harder than most here.”

Don't read too much into this. This isn't saying Tepper believes Reich and the front office picked the wrong guy. I believe this is more on the development end of it. He's seeing Stroud do great things early in his career while Young has struggled to find any sort of success. Tepper believes that in firing Reich, it will help Young's development as a quarterback, especially once they get the right coach in the building.

ou can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on X:

Facebook - @PanthersOnSI

X - @AllPanthers_ and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.