Glazer: Panthers' Frank Reich Has 'Hottest Seat in' NFL amid 1-8 Record in 1st Year

Things have not gone well for the Carolina Panthers in 2023, and it may cost head coach Frank Reich his job.

"If I'm going to be taken down here, I'm going to go down swinging my way," Fox Sports' Jay Glazer said on Fox NFL Sunday when talking about Reich taking back play-calling duties.

"But without a doubt here, Frank Reich has the hottest seat in the league," Glazer added.

Carolina is 1-8 on the season, but the record doesn't tell the entire story.

It traded wide receiver DJ Moore and its first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Chicago Bears to move up to No. 1 in the 2023 draft. That 2024 pick is currently in line to be the No. 1 overall pick given the Panthers' record.

As if that wasn't enough, the team used the first pick in this year's draft to take Alabama's Bryce Young. While it is far too early to give up on Young, he has been completely overshadowed by Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, whom the Houston Texans selected with the No. 2 pick.

Stroud isn't just in Offensive Rookie of the Year conversations, he is in MVP discussions as the Texans chase a playoff spot. Hindsight doesn't do much good at this point, but it is easy to second guess Carolina's decision given how well Stroud has played.

Making it all the more painful is the fact Young could use a game-changing wide receiver on a team that is missing offensive firepower.

A game-changing wide receiver like, well, Moore for example.

Reich isn't exactly working with the league's most talented team, but the 1-8 record stands out for a franchise that seems to be trending in the wrong direction in a sixth consecutive losing season.

Perhaps Young will turn the corner and become the foundational building block the team is hoping for, but not having a first-round pick in this year's draft takes away one avenue for the Panthers to add much-needed talent around him.

And now Young might be working with a new head coach in 2024.