David Tepper was desperate for the Carolina Panthers to make a statement after firing then-head coach Ron Rivera, so much so that he gave Matt Rhule control over the entire football operation when it looked like he was going to the New York Giants.
Rhule's time in Carolina was an unmitigated disaster. He was a highly thought of college coach, but these methods didn't work in the NFL. Players didn't respond to his techniques, and the Panthers descended to rock bottom under his leadership. Tepper should have pulled the plug long before the axe came after five weeks of the 2022 season, but he got there in the end.