Two things can be true at the same time—and that’s seemingly the case for the promising, but growing Carolina Panthers.
Head coach Frank Reich and his cats were the subject of Albert Breer’s latest lead for his “Monday Morning Quarterback” column. The senior NFL reporter spoke to the former Panthers quarterback, who said the following about the current Panthers quarterback:
“Patrick Mahomes sat on the bench his rookie year. Peyton Manning was 3–13. Troy Aikman was 1–15,” Reich stated of developing around rookie Bryce Young. “The list goes on and on. So this is a two- to four-year project. It’s a two- to four-year project with every sense of urgency to win every game and make the most of every day. Those things can both be true. Hey, they don’t really care about winning now. … No, that’s garbage. We’re fighting and scratching to win every game, to win our division, to win playoff games. But it’s a two- to four year project.”
From an outsider’s perspective, many signs are pointing towards a prototypical rebuild for the Panthers. They have a brand new head coach, a (mostly) brand new coaching staff and selected a brand new signal caller atop the 2023 NFL draft.
But given Young’s quick adaption to the pros, what the roster already has in place and a wide open NFC South, Carolina could conceivably make a run at a division crown right away. Just don’t be surprised if there are some growing pains along the way.
