Panthers' David Tepper Ripped in NFLPA Survey over Lack of Investment into Facilities

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is certainly spending a lot of money on head coaches, but his investment in the franchise's infrastructure is apparently lacking.

The NFL Players Association released its annual team-by-team report cards Wednesday. The Panthers received a "D" grade for the ownership, and respondents cited a belief that Tepper "is not willing to invest the necessary money into the facilities."

Tepper has burned through a lot of goodwill since his purchase of the Panthers became official in July 2018. Carolina has had a losing record in every season and is already onto its fourth permanent head coach during his regime.

The most recent ouster of Frank Reich midway through his first year prompted some to wonder whether Tepper has become the biggest thing holding the organization back.

At the very least, the Panthers' reputation is starting to take a hit within the league.

Carolina ranked 12th overall in the 2023 report card and has slipped to 17th, and that ranking could perhaps be a bit deceiving because it accounted for the presence of Reich on the sideline. He was singled out for praise in the coach section. Now, first-year head coach Dave Canales is in charge.

When it comes to the playing surface at Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers announced in 2021 that they were moving from natural grass to FieldTurf, citing the fact Charlotte Football Club would be sharing the venue starting with the 2022 season. An artificial playing surface would be more durable and easier to maintain than natural grass.

While Tepper was singled out in the NFLPA report cards, this has been a wider issue for the players' union, which has called for natural grass fields at every NFL stadium. The NFL and the union have presented dissenting views on whether artificial turf increases the likelihood of injuries, which is at the crux of the NFLPA's argument.