The Carolina Panthers have the NFL world buzzing following the dismissal of head coach Frank Reich, who was with the team for just 11 games before owner David Tepper made the decision to move forward in another direction. Public opinion was already not in the favor of this organization, but midseason upheaval is sure to bring out the “dysfunction” and “bad culture” claims like never before.

The Panthers own the worst record in the league at 1-10 and are not showing any discernible signs of improvement under rookie quarterback Bryce Young. This does not seem to be a case of mere growing pains. The team is in desperate need of a jolt. Unfortunately, a coaching change tends to be the easiest and cleanest way to try to achieve that end.

As people process Reich's untimely firing, Brett Kollmann perfectly sums up the franchise's dilemma, and seemingly bleak immediate future. “The tough(er) part about this for Carolina is…who are they actually going to attract to replace Frank Reich?” he posted on X. “They have no first-round pick this year and no second-rounder next year. They have no protection. They have no weapons. Their young QB looks shaky. Who would they get?”

Things can start to improve if the right leader enters the locker room. Young is only 22 years of age and could still find his footing in the NFL. Big changes must be implemented, though, starting with this sieve of an offensive line. The new coach must then instill confidence in his quarterback and enact a game plan that will allow him to succeed.

But that's obviously no simple task. The Panthers have not had a winning season since the 2017-18 campaign, and it appears there are more hard times to come. However, David Tepper is at least showing his fans that regression is not an option whatsoever.

With the Frank Reich era brought to an unceremonious close, Carolina will return to the drawing board ahead of its divisional battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.