REPORT: It’s A Matter Of ‘When’ Not ‘If’ Panthers Will Fire HC Matt Rhule

Matt Rhule’s days as the Carolina Panthers head coach could be numbered.

Following the team’s 37-15 humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that it’s not a matter “if” the Panthers will fire Rhule, but a matter of “when.”

From late Friday night … now hearing it's a matter of "when" not "if" for Rhule to be out in Carolina. The benefit to doing it sooner than later is that Rhule ends up in play for a college job, reducing the buyout. https://t.co/hYbQhTRj6x

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 9, 2022

Florio took it a step further by saying Rhule could be fired as early as Monday:

If everything I've come to believe about Panthers owner David Tepper is true, he'll fire Matt Rhule tomorrow.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 10, 2022

Florio reports the main reason Tepper could be willing to fire Rhule is because it gives Rhule the opportunity to land a college football head coaching job and that would get potentially lessen the pending settlement with Rhule.

Rhule signed a seven-year, $62 million contract with the Panthers.

If Rhule is fired during the season, which seems inevitably at this point, both offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and defensive passing game coordinator Steve Wilks have head-coaching experience and could step in to be an interim coach.

The Panthers are 1-4 and are going nowhere. It makes sense for both Rhule and the Panthers to end this marriage.