There aren't many folks who think Matt Rhule will be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers after the 2022 season.

I think even Rhule, who is 10-23 in two seasons as the Panthers' head coach, knows he's on his way out of Charlotte — why else would he be eyeing the Michigan job in the event that Jim Harbaugh goes back to the NFL?

But if you're still somehow not convinced that Rhule is done as an NFL head coach, I have some more evidence for you.

Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson reported on Friday that longtime NFL assistant coach Pep Hamilton interviewed this week with the Chicago Bears for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

How is this relevant to Rhule and the Panthers?

Well, Hamilton declined to even interview with Carolina (to replace Joe Brady as the franchise's offensive coordinator) before the Panthers hired former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo.

Landing the offensive coordinator gig in Carolina would've been a promotion for Hamilton, who was serving as the Houston Texans' quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator in 2021.

Hamilton is also a Charlotte native, so it would've been a homecoming for him.

Instead, Hamilton took one look at the Panthers' situation and essentially said "nope, I'll wait".

That's why the Panthers had to hire an offensive coordinator in McAdoo that was a consultant last season for the Dallas Cowboys. No one was knocking down the door to hire McAdoo. If he wanted a coordinator job in the NFL, the Panthers were basically his only choice.

Hamilton, on the other hand, has seen his stock rise in recent years. The former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator was widely praised for the work he did with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in 2020 (Hamilton was the Chargers' quarterbacks coach and Herbert won NFL offensive rookie of the year honors).

Coaches like Hamilton see the situation in Carolina and they want no part of it. They know it could be disastrous for their careers.

McAdoo, on other hand, has already seen his career hit rock bottom. He's willing to go down with the ship while collecting a nice check.

(Side note: There's probably a good chance that McAdoo serves as the Panthers' interim head coach at some point next season if Rhule gets fired early…which is plausible.)

Everyone knows it's the beginning of the end for Rhule. It's just a matter of when.

Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports