Key Carolina Panthers player appears to throw some shade at former HC Matt Rhule
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule didn't have the cleanest exit from Charlotte last season after he was fired by owner David Tepper. Rhule had no problem blaming everyone else for his struggles with the Panthers. The former Baylor head coach said he shouldn't have taken the Carolina job while also complaining about the […]
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule didn't have the cleanest exit from Charlotte last season after he was fired by owner David Tepper.
Rhule had no problem blaming everyone else for his struggles with the Panthers.
The former Baylor head coach said he shouldn't have taken the Carolina job while also complaining about the draft picks the Panthers made. He also suggested he didn't get enough time to right the ship in Carolina.
Rhule's excuses made him look like someone who loves to complain and blame others for his own failures.
While there were players in the Panthers' locker room who were fans of Rhule, it's easy to see why that wasn't the consensus.
On Thursday at training camp, Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson appeared to throw some shade at his former coach.
Thompson said he didn't want to say anything bad about the previous coaching staff, but his comments on Thursday made it clear what he was trying to say.
"I'm not going to talk about the other staff," said Thompson. "But this staff, they just know how to take care of players. You see how practices are out here. We get our work in and we get off the field. We try to beat the heat."
Rhule's practices were famously tough. He had too much of a college mentality where he essentially forgot that he was coaching professional players and not 18-year-olds (who need to learn how to practice). Under new head coach Frank Reich, players are being treated like professionals. They know they need to get their work in and they know how to do that efficiently.
Thompson also mentioned that Carolina is focusing a lot on situational stuff early during training camp. That's something that didn't necessarily always happen during the Rhule era. Former Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater famously said that Carolina rarely practiced red-zone situations or two-minute drills under Rhule.
While Thompson wasn't trying to throw shade at Rhule, it's pretty obvious that he thinks the Panthers have a much better approach under Reich.
Bryce Young can make Panthers history with his first snap
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young can make Carolina Panthers history with his first snap in the NFL
Featured image via Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
