Matt Rhule's lame-duck status hindered Panthers' search for assistant coaches?

The Carolina Panthers retained coach Matt Rhule for the 2022 season, but the rumors about his long-term job security have already reportedly taken a toll in one key manner.

Rhule retooled his coaching staff after a dismal 2021 season, but this was apparently no easy effort. In an appearance on Fox Sports Upstate’s “Game On! with Richmond and John” Friday, Joseph Person of The Athletic reported that Rhule struggled to land coveted coaching targets due to the perception around the NFL that the Panthers coach may not last beyond the 2022 season.

“There were coaches on staff, there were coaches that Matt Rhule wanted to bring in here and talk to like a Thomas McGaughey and a Pep Hamilton, that viewed this situation as a lame-duck situation and didn’t want any part of it. That’s why we’ve seen three assistants leave,” Person said.

The hesitancy is understandable. There have been a lot of reports that cast Rhule as being firmly on the hot seat. If he stands a decent chance of being fired after 2022, there is not a lot of reason for an assistant to move their family to Charlotte for a job they may hold for only a year. Add in the fact that there is little support from the fan base and it’s not a situation many would want to walk into if there are other options.