Panthers Rumors: HC Matt Rhule Won't Be Fired Following Consecutive Losing Seasons

Matt Rhule's head coaching position with the Carolina Panthers is reportedly safe, at least for one more offseason. 

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, "owner David Tepper is not preparing to move from him despite the lack of victories to this point," though he added that "according to many who know Tepper well and have worked with him or for him in the past, the odds of this billionaire standing pat after a third straight lost season—should it come to that—are bleak."

Rhule, 46, is just 10-20 in his first two seasons as the team's head coach, though it's hard to lay all of the blame at his feet.

Superstar Christian McCaffrey has played in just 10 of a possible 30 games during Rhule's tenure because of injuries. The quarterbacks Rhule has had to work with have included Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold and Cam Newton. Hardly an elite bunch. 

But Rhule's hiring of Joe Brady to serve as offensive coordinator proved to be a poor fit, and he was fired midseason this year.

"[Brady has] done a lot to get us moving in the right direction, but this was something that I felt like, from a football perspective, we needed to do now," Rhule told reporters in early December.

And Rhule's handling of his quarterback carousel has been questionable at times:

Rhule is two years into a seven-year pact with the Panthers, though La Canfora reported that the head coach "was linked to several top college openings last month and that there remain certain opportunities in the college game—where he turned around programs at Temple and Baylor—that would appeal to him."

So Rhule would land on his feet if the Panthers did decide to move on. For now, however, the Panthers aren't ready to give up on his tenure.