Carolina Panthers Fire HC Matt Rhule
Head coach Matt Rhule’s tenure in Carolina has come to an end. According to NFL.com, the Panthers have fired Rhule following a 1-4 start to the 2022 campaign.
After successful stints at Temple and Baylor University, Rhule signed a massive seven-year, $62 million contract with the Panthers in 2020. Renowned for his ability to turn around programs in short order, the 47-year-old was expected to do the same for a Carolina squad whose last winning season came in 2017.
Instead, Rhule’s Panthers struggled mightily, posting an 11-27 mark over two-plus seasons.
While Rhule helped oversee an improved Carolina defense, the offense was one of the league’s most inept, ranking 28th in points-per-game, 29th in yards-per-game, 31st in third-down percentage, and 30th in red-zone touchdown percentage since 2020. The lack of a capable starting quarterback didn’t help matters, but general manager Scott Fitterer surely expected more.
Defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks will take over for Rhule on an interim basis.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Panthers as +9.5 road underdogs on the spread and +340 on the moneyline ahead of Week 6’s contest against the Los Angeles Rams.
