Owner of the Carolina Panthers David Tepper is in charge of the team’s “Hunger Games” culture.

David Tepper, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, has faced a lot of criticism lately for firing head coach Frank Reich just 11 games into his position.

According to earlier reports, Tepper oversaw a pettish culture inside the Panthers’ organization. This included deliberately pronouncing Reich’s name incorrectly. “It’s his method of setting people straight,” an insider recently told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The Athletic’s Joseph Person and Dianna Russini have released a new report that goes even further into what is happening in Carolina at the moment. It’s not very good.

Further information from team sources revealed that there is a “Hunger Games” mentality in the Panthers’ workplace. In other words, everyone is watching out for number one.

Really, none of this should be a huge surprise. Back in 2008, when the billionaire Tepper bought the Panthers, the Panthers were already well-known. In other words, guiding ruthless societies in the past.

With Tepper’s official acquisition of the Panthers in July 2018, the team’s record stands at 30-64, with no winning seasons or postseason trips. The Panthers, counting interim head coaches, are currently on their sixth. We’re not sure what would speak to dysfunction if that didn’t.

It also appears that Tepper’s hands-on style has been a major factor in this.

According to The Athletic’s report, “Tepper has been criticized for micromanaging and getting hands-on with football decisions.” As a former minority partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tepper was able to convince then-head coach Ron Rivera to switch to a 3-4 defense prior to the 2019 season. He also spearheaded the team’s pursuit of Deshaun Watson before the quarterback was traded to Cleveland in 2022.

The Panthers’ on-field difficulties and the behind-the-scenes drama that is now becoming public knowledge don’t seem to be coincidences.

The more significant question going forward is whether his position at the top of the organization will affect the Panthers’ search for a head coach in the upcoming offseason. It may very well reduce the pool of potential applicants.