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The Carolina Panthers were pleased to announce Matt Rhule as the franchise's next head coach after signing him to a seven-year, $60 million contract. According to USA Today's Robert Klemko, an NFC South coach told him that owners are “pissed” at David Tepper for Rhule's perceived expensive contract.
An NFC South coach, on Carolina's 7-year, $60 million contract for first-time NFL head coach Matt Rhule: "Tepper just drove the price of pork up, and I know the owners are pissed. They're gonna hurt him at the next league meetings. They might just shut him out of the room."
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) January 9, 2020
Rhule's deal with the Panthers can actually be worth $70 million due to incentives. Despite not having much experience in the NFL, Rhule became the sixth highest-paid head coach in the NFL.
The five coaches who make more annually than Rhule have all won a Super Bowl ring. Two of the most notable coaches ahead of Rhule are Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll.
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Over the past seven seasons, Rhule has been coaching in the college ranks and became an attractive coaching candidate in the NFL last season. As a matter of fact, he nearly took the head coaching gig for the New York Jets. But after finding out he couldn't assemble his own staff, he returned to Baylor in 2019.
Just like the market for players, Rhule's contract with the Panthers could raise the price for coaches—especially ones who are contemplating making the leap from college football to the NFL.
There were multiple teams interested in Rhule and he was slated to interview with the New York Giants on Tuesday. But before he could even get on the plane to New York, the Panthers gave him an offer that he couldn't refuse.
The NFL will hold their annual league meetings in March, nearly a month before the 2020 NFL Draft. It appears that Tepper may have fewer owners to talk to when those meetings come about.
