Frank Reich’s Panthers buyout revealed

The Carolina Panthers (1-10) and team owner Jeff Tepper will pay a hefty price not to have Frank Reich call another play for the team moving forward.

According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, Tepper will be on the hook for an estimated $9 million per season over the next three seasons after relieving Reich of his duties as head coach Monday. Reich initially signed a four-year contract which runs through 2026. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as the interim head coach. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will become the team’s play caller, with senior assistant Jim Caldwell serving as his special adviser. Tabor wasted no time making changes to the staff, letting go of quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley.

Carolina made the decision to fire Reich after just 11 games following the 17-10 Week 12 defeat to the Tennessee Titans (4-7) Sunday. Reich, tasked with fixing Carolina’s offense and developing quarterback Bryce Young, whom the organization parted ways with four draft picks and star wideout D.J. Moore to take with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, failed to get his side of the ball going.

The Panthers rank 30th in yards per game (265.9) and 29th in points per game (15.7). In the two games after Reich took back the play-calling duties from Brown, the offense scored just 20 points combined. Young has struggled, throwing for 1,877 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions on 61.7% passing. His 32.0 QBR is second to last among starting quarterbacks. Young has been under duress all season as Carolina has surrendered 43 sacks, fourth most in the NFL.

Revolving door in Carolina continues after firing of Frank Reich

The signs were there that Tepper was potentially done with Reich after Sunday’s loss. Tepper, who bought the franchise in 2018, was heard yelling, ‘F---,’ as he exited the team’s locker room after the game. After firing Matt Rhule last season, the Panthers installed Steve Wilks as the interim head coach. Wilks went 6-6 as the interim and won four of his last six games before Tepper opted to go in a different direction – with Reich.

Since 2018, Tepper has fired five different head coaches of the two franchises he owns — the Panthers and Charlotte FC of MLS. He fired Ron Rivera in December 2019, Charlotte FC head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez in May 2022, Rhule in October 2022, Charlotte FC head coach Christian Lattanzio earlier this month and now Reich.