Panthers Owner David Tepper Addresses Rumor He Overruled Frank Reich On Bryce Young And C.J. Stroud
Wherever the rumors came from, whoever reported the idea fired Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich wanted C.J. Stroud when the club drafted Bryce Young, that's simply not true.
Let's kill that one right here.
On Tuesday, Panthers owner David Tepper was asked about those rumors that seem to persist among the fan base and orbit in cyberspace.
Panthers owner David Tepper looks on before a game against the Vikings. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Coaches Were 'Unanimous' About Bryce Young
Speaking to reporters on the heels of firing Reich, the Panthers owner said he deferred to coaches and scouts on the quarterback decision.
"Just the way our processes go here, I'll say this really plain, on all those decisions whether it was the head coach, whether it was Bryce, I don't really vote on those decisions until it's the last piece," Tepper said during a press conference in Charlotte. "OK? So those decisions are made by the football people. Now, look, everything that's right and everything that's wrong here is my fault. I have the final say.
"But as far as those decisions, whether it's Frank Reich or it's Bryce Young, those decisions were made. And in the case of Bryce, I believe it was almost, I believe it was a unanimous decision from the coaches and the scouts. And very strong opinions at the time."
Tepper said the Panthers indeed believed they might end up with Stroud when there were rumors the Texans would trade with the Bears to move to the top overall selection. That didn't happen and ultimately it was the Panthers who made the trade with the Bears for the No. 1 pick.
C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans reacts after a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
There Was One Scenario That Put Stroud On Panthers
"Now it's been reported and we talked about it, originally we were going to go with the No. 2 pick and we thought we'd get C.J. because we thought the Texans were going to pick Bryce," Tepper said. "And listen, we preferred Bryce. He was our No. 1 pick. We had a lot of conviction.
"And, again, even though there were five people in the room and the way the votes came in, Frank was the first choice, I always could veto that choice. And the votes came in unanimously in this particular case, I could have vetoed that choice. In both cases I supported both choices."
So is Tepper rewriting history? Some may accuse him of that.
But even Reich himself has spoken on the topic with reporters and he basically has confirmed what Tepper said.
Bryce Young prepares to lead the Panthers onto the field prior to a game against the Chicago Bears. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Panthers Not Giving Up On Bryce Young
"I've always said, I like C.J. Stroud a lot. I liked that whole quarterback draft. I think they were all really good prospects and I think they're all going to have really good NFL careers," Reich said recently.
"My eyes and our eyes were on Bryce Young from start to finish. You look at the film, you talk to the man, you get a sense for the leader, the player, what he is and what he can be and how he fits into what we want to do, we got the guy for us."
And support for Young has not dimmed within the Panthers' organization despite the quarterback's struggles (9 TDs and 8 interceptions) in his rookie season.
"As far as Bryce Young is concerned, I cannot say this for myself, and I think everyone in this building would share this sentiment, we are totally confident in that pick," Tepper said. "I think the people who made that pick are totally confident ... And for me, I'm totally confident in agreeing with that pick."