Hall of Fame former head coach Jimmy Johnson didn’t hold back on criticism of Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, days after the organization benched former No. 1 overall pick quarterback Bryce Young.
“Why has [Carolina] had all of these head coaches and offensive coordinators?” Johnson said on FOX NFL Sunday. “The owner of the Carolina Panthers, that’s the problem. He’s making the major decisions without listening to his football people.”
Earlier this week, Panthers head coach Dave Canales suggested that it was his decision, and not Tepper’s, to turn the page from Young amid the second-year quarterback’s monumental struggles to open the season. Still, Johnson believes that Tepper’s meddling in recent years is what has the franchise mired in the doldrums of the NFL.
In particular, Johnson took aim at Tepper’s impatience and meddling leading to an exodus of talent from the Panthers in recent years.
“Look at the people that’ve left,” Johnson said. “[Tepper] is the one who wanted Bryce Young as the No. 1 pick. Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Brian Burns [all left the Panthers], you look at Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, look at coaches like Steve Wilks, Frank Reich, Matt Rhule, he’s run them all off.
“He’s making the decisions. He has got to start listening to his football people, and stop playing fantasy football.”
Compounding the Panthers’ decision to take Young with the No. 1 overall pick is that C.J. Young ran away with Offensive Rookie of The Year honors last season while leading the Houston Texans to the AFC Divisional playoffs.
The Panthers are looking for their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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