The Matt Rhule era in Carolina appears to be over.
On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers lost their fourth game of the season when they got blown out by the San Francisco 49ers.
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 9, 2022
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, he’s hearing it’s only a matter of time until Rhule is fired.
From late Friday night … now hearing it's a matter of "when" not "if" for Rhule to be out in Carolina. The benefit to doing it sooner than later is that Rhule ends up in play for a college job, reducing the buyout. https://t.co/hYbQhTRj6x
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 9, 2022
Florio says he believes the Panthers will fire Rhule within the next week.
If everything I've come to believe about Panthers owner David Tepper is true, he'll fire Matt Rhule tomorrow.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 10, 2022
Here’s why Florio believes the Panthers will fire Rhule sooner than later.
Here’s a reason to do it sooner than later. If Rhule lands a job in the coming NCAA hiring cycle, the Panthers would get a dollar-for-dollar credit as to any remaining buyout. If Tepper keeps Rhule until after the season, the college jobs might be filled.
Rhule signed a seven-year, $62 million contract after the 2020 season. It’s unclear how much of the contract remains guaranteed.
If Rhule is fired during the season, it’s unclear who would take over as the interim coach. Both offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Steve Wilks have prior head-coaching experience