CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been nearly three years since David Tepper fired coach Frank Reich in the 2023 season, only meeting with members of the media on football topics.
So reporters had questions for the Carolina Panthers owner on Wednesday, many of which involved quarterback Bryce Young. On the night the Panthers drafted Young with the No. 1 pick in 2023, Tepper said he thought the Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama could bring multiple Super Bowls to the Carolinas.
He asked Wednesday if he still believed.
“I think he has a lot of talent, and with the right weapons and the right situation, yes,” Tepper said.
Young helped the Panthers snap a seven-year playoff drought last season, when the Panthers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record. The Panthers picked up Young’s fifth-year option for 2027, worth an estimated $25.9 million.
But one day after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Locked quarterback Baker Mayfield Tepper, who has a three-year contract worth $55 million a year, declined to say whether the team had offered Young a contract extension.
Asked what might convince the Panthers to give Young an extension, Tepper said, “I’m not saying we have or we haven’t, you’ve got to talk to general manager Dan (Morgan). Look, success is success, and you know it when you see it.”
Tepper took questions for 13 minutes before the Panthers’ practice. Some of his thoughts…
Whether the young person can take further action:
“You’ve seen it. He can and he’s performed at a high level in high-level competition. He seems to bring the best out of him. Bryce is the type of guy who doesn’t feel the pressure. You saw that a couple of times against the Rams. When you have a performance like that, you know it’s there. Can he bring it every game? I believe he can. You know it’s there. It’s true like I said.
How to define success:
“I’ve talked about the Carolina Panthers for a long time, and it’s probably in the water. So I’m not going to say just one season. I want to have two (consecutive) winning seasons (for the first time) in this franchise’s history. So I want to win this year and I want to win next year. I want to win another championship in this tournament. We don’t have it. So I want to win seasons.
Dave Canales leaves offensive play calling:
I think it’s liberating for Dave to see everything that’s going on during the game. You hope we’re faster with some things like making adjustments.
This year’s view:
“Last year’s team, like I said, we’re not a playoff team, but we can make the playoffs. I think we’re more of a playoff team this year than we were last year. When you have winning seasons in the preseason, you play with your depth. So I think Dan did a good job building the depth.”
Dealing with external needs;
“I know all the expectations that you guys write about. I know what the odds are. We’re 7.5 wins this season. Those are the expectations and the expectations are from last year. So if we improve on some things (from) last year — for example, we can’t win all of the back-to-backs. We’re going to start fast in the NFL. We’re going to start games fast.
Here’s how Morgan improved his depth:
“I think they’ve done a good job of trying to bring players in. Fortunately, we have enough depth (offensive line) that we had Rush (Walker) in here, which would have been a big problem if Taylor (Moton) had (health) problems. And we looked at other things that they’re focusing on (going forward). He just said the other day he’s 6-2 like I’m 6-4.
Whether Major League Baseball Wants to Bring It to Charlotte:
“He talked to (Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom) Dundee in Raleigh. It’s very political with baseball in this state. I think it could come to North Carolina. To be honest, it’s a tougher job to bring it here than in Raleigh. To be honest, that’s it. Yeah, I’m looking at it.”
Because he is not very involved in his daily activities:
“Nothing is easy in the NFL. Seriously. I believe we have everything to win this year. And I believe we will have everything to win in the future. I think we’re on the right track and I think we have great people here in Dan and Dave and Brandt (Tillis). So I don’t think we have a good management team around them because I believe in them in the building. And like I said, I’m realistic, but optimistic.” I have.
