Tuesday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers announced that they had hired former Baylor coach Matt Rhule to become the fifth head coach in franchise history. This news followed rumors that the New York Giants were targeting Rhule to replace the recently departed Pat Shurmur in the Big Apple. The Panthers ultimately locked down the coach with a seven-year, $60 million contract.
According to reports by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Rhule actually skipped the interview with the Giants in order to sign with the Panthers. He didn’t completely spurn the team, however, considering that he called Big Blue and gave them an opportunity to match his offer. The Giants declined, instead opting to sign former Patriots wide receivers coach Joe Judge.
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With the news of Rhule’s hiring, Twitter was ablaze with responses from fans of the Panthers and those that dislike the Charlotte-based franchise. Many actually applauded new owner David Tepper for getting Rhule in the building in order for him to conduct a turnaround.
Fans of the Giants, however, were far less excited about the new hire in North Carolina. They wanted Rhule to take over and turn second-year quarterback Daniel Jones into a superstar while simultaneously turning New York into one of the league’s most dominant teams.
As a follower of Baylor…let me tell you panther fans, you guys are getting a LEADER. This team will be good again in 2-3 years.
— Nasti (@Snasti34) January 7, 2020
With the news of Rhule being hired, the fans in Carolina were fired up about the upcoming turnaround that they believed would result in a Super Bowl victory. They even hoped that this would take place extremely quickly so that they could point and laugh at the other NFC South teams.
The timeline, as it turns out, is far more fluid. A Baylor fan weighed in on the hire and explained that Rhule would get the turnaround done, but it might take some time. They expected the Panthers to be unstoppable in roughly three seasons.
Tepper continues to prove with his actions that he is willing to do whatever it takes and pay however much to make this a winning franchise. Rhule is the perfect candidate when you consider Tepper wanted old school philosophy with modern day analytics. Let’s get to work!
— Jared Davis (@Jared_Banner) January 7, 2020
When Tepper fired Ron Rivera midway through the 2019 campaign, there were some Panthers fans that questioned his decision-making. They wanted to know why he made the decision and if he had a plan for the future. Months later, their opinions have changed.
Many fans of Carolina weighed in on the Rhule hiring on Tuesday, expressing excitement for the new era of football. They are finally starting to see Tepper’s vision, and they can’t wait to see it take place in the coming seasons.
That’s way to big of a contract for a brand new nfl coach that hasn’t proven anything in the nfl. This is a Gruden type of contract it’s just ridiculous
— Jeffrey🍀 (@JCampbell__15) January 7, 2020
While there certainly is a lot of optimism in Carolina after the team hired Rhule to run the show, there is also some concern among the Panthers fans. Some actually took pause after seeing the contract numbers. In their minds, they don’t believe that the former Baylor coach has earned that type of money.
One of the biggest concerns expressed is that locking up Rhule for seven years at the price of $60 million could put the Panthers in a situation similar to that in Oakland. Jon Gruden left the ESPN booth to coach his former team prior to the 2018 season, and he received a 10-year deal worth $100 million.
Officially, a new Rhule in Carolina
— Michael Pacheco (@MikePacheco81) January 7, 2020
Love or hate the hire, there were some fans that just wanted to focus on Rhule’s name and the puns that could be created in the coming months and years. Some fans said that this decision “Rhules” and that they were excited. Others wanted to make a gambling nickname similar to the one held by the previous coach.
Rivera earned the nickname of Riverboat Ron after several games in which he made risky decisions in an effort to secure numerous victories during the 15-1 season in 2015. If Rhule follows this trend, the expectation is that he will also get a nickname. Although Matt Rhulette did inspire less confidence in some of the Panthers fans.
Hope this works out. But 7 yrs?? 2 me looks like Cam goes, total fire sale, complete rebuild from ground up. No need for 7 yrs unless owner expects 4-5 to rebuild and get back 2 winning. And ? Rhules thinking with going to NY asking if they would match offer. Real commitment!
— Pfafftown Guy (@PfafftownG) January 7, 2020
After news broke that Rhule had called the Giants and offered them the opportunity to match his contract, some of the Panthers fans responded with frustration. They believed that this was a sign that the former Baylor coach would bail at the first opportunity, leaving the team in a lurch. In their opinion, this was too risky of a move.
This vocal minority turned heads in the comments section, but they were fewer in number than the supporters of the hire. The majority of Panthers fans were fired up about the decision to bring Rhule to town.
This is the most Dave Gettleman move ever
— Brian Barney (@bbarney22) January 7, 2020
The Panthers fans were certainly fired up about the Rhule hiring, but the Giants fans had very different opinions on the situation. They were far more frustrated about the lack of movement by general manager Dave Gettleman. The fans of Big Blue wanted the man to knock the hire out of the park after firing coach Pat Shurmur, but they were left disappointed.
Adding to the frustration among Giants fans is that they were left with two main options for the head coach. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was one option, which surprised many fans. The other was a wide receivers coach for the Patriots.
Giants are possibly the weirdest team in the NFL when it comes to hiring staff
— Tristen 🎆 (@TheTristenBrown) January 7, 2020
With the Giants declining to match the Panthers’ contract offer, the fans were met with the news that Joe Judge would be taking over as the top man in New York. This news prompted a wide variety of responses, including dozens in which the fans simply asked “who?”
Others, however, simply looked at the developing situation and laughed. They thought that this hire made the Giants look foolish and lacking in direction at the most critical point of the year.
(Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
