Report: Carolina Panthers Violated NFL Rule During Coaching Search
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers' front office may have explaining to do following a report from CBS Sports on Thursday.
According to a report from Jonathan Jones, one member of the team's head coach search committee did not complete the league's required inclusive hiring training.
That committee member: Nicole Tepper, wife of team owner David Tepper.
Jones' report provided a detailed overview of the issue at hand. One section in particular could make waves around the league.
CBS Sports reported:
"Following a request for comment, a team spokesman said in a statement: 'She was trained prior to participating in interviews.' No further elaboration was given. Multiple sources have refuted the Panthers' statement. It's unclear if the league plans to issue any punishment to the team."
When and if punishment is handed out for this alleged infraction, the above segment could compound the issue.
The Panthers are in conversations with a number of candidates for the team's vacancy. Carolina is reported to have already interviewed Steve Wilks, Jim Caldwell, Frank Reich, Shane Steichen, and Ejiro Evero. David Tepper is scheduled to meet with Sean Payton later this week.
Time will tell if the fallout from today's report will impact any progress made with the above candidates.
