Matt Rhule's tenure with Panthers teetering amid 1-3 start

All 32 NFL head coaches have survived the first four weeks of the season, but Carolina's Matt Rhule might have the hottest seat after Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.

Rhule, who signed a seven-year, $62 million contract to coach the Panthers in 2020, was retained after Carolina lost 12 of its last 14 games in 2021. Owner David Tepper allowed Rhule to pick another offensive coordinator after the firing of Joe Brady. The coach hired Ben McAdoo to run the offense, but the former Giants head coach has been underwhelming.

The offense hasn't played well through four games. QB Baker Mayfield has a career-low 75 passer rating, the third-lowest mark of any quarterback who has started each of his team's games this season. 

Despite Rhule's offensive background, the Panthers offense has been among the most inept in football since 2020. Under Rhule, Carolina is 1-26 when its opponent scores at least 17 points. Overall, he has a 11-26 record at Carolina.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora wrote last December: "The odds of this billionaire standing pat" after another poor season "are bleak." Another losing season certainly appears to be in store for the Panthers. 

Could Rhule return to the collegiate level if Tepper makes a change? This is already an active college football coaching cycle, with openings at Wisconsin, Nebraska, Arizona State, Georgia Tech and Colorado. With the Big Ten set to add two major programs in USC and UCLA, Wisconsin and Nebraska might be willing to shell out big money for a prominent name. 

As much as Rhule has struggled in the NFL, he earned a reputation as a program builder at Temple and Baylor, taking the Bears from 1-11 in 2017 to 11-3 in 2019. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported after the Panthers fell to 0-2 that Tepper was "planning to be patient rather than reactionary," which is typically a wise approach, but the end seems inevitable as long as Carolina stays stuck in neutral.