Panthers' Frank Reich Gives OC Thomas Brown Play-Calling Duties Amid 0-6 Start

As the Carolina Panthers enter the Week 7 bye with a 0-6 record, head coach Frank Reich is making a significant change to the offense.

Reich has decided to hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, per ESPN's David Newton.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport first reported the news,

Pelissero noted that Reich made the decision himself to relinquish play-calling duties. The 37-year-old Brown is "highly regarded" in coaching circles, and he will be tasked with guiding rookie quarterback Bryce Young.

Rapoport indicated that Reich's play-calling style was not meshing with the 2023 No. 1 pick, who has thrown for 967 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 63.2 percent of his passes.

"He kind of had to alter the way that he was calling plays to fit Bryce Young and what they were asking Bryce Young to do and they know they wanted to simplify things to kind of pull back a little bit, so he ends up doing that," Rapoport stated.

The development of Young over the remainder of the season could impact Reich and the rest of his coaching staff. Rapoport pointed out that their future with the Panthers will hinge on "how the offense can change and improve and how Bryce Young develops."

"There is nothing more important to this organization than the No. 1 overall pick playing like the No. 1 overall pick," Rapoport said. "Hopefully for the Panthers, this will go a long way in getting Bryce Young to play as they know that he can play."

Brown will debut as the primary play-caller on Oct. 29 against the Houston Texans, which will pit Young against 2023 No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud, who is the early favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year amid his impressive start to the season.