The Carolina Panthers’ 2024 first-round draft pick was one of multiple picks acquired by the Chicago Bears in last year’s blockbuster trade.
The Panthers moved up to No. 1 in the 2023 draft and selected quarterback Bryce Young.
The Panthers finished 2-15 last season and were supposed to be the first team in Detroit on Thursday. However, the Bears retained the pick and drafted quarterback Caleb Williams.
David Tepper bought the Panthers in 2018, but the franchise hasn’t had much success since then, with each of his first six seasons ending in a losing streak.
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David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers during a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on August 18, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Tepper’s ownership has also been marred by several off-the-field blunders, the latest of which occurred Thursday. Shortly before the draft began, a sign appeared outside a bar in Charlotte that bashed Tepper.
NFL imposes hefty fine on Panthers owner David Tepper for throwing drink at Jaguars fan
A sign outside the Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, about a mile from the Panthers’ home stadium, said, “This year, be your coach’s and GM’s choice.” The message was in reference to Tepper’s influence on the Panthers’ decision to draft Young over CJ Stroud last year. Stroud was the second overall pick and won Rookie of the Year.
Tepper liked the sign and decided to visit the bar on Thursday night. WBTV obtained video footage of an interaction between Tepper and someone working inside the restaurant. At one point, Tepper reached down and took the hat from the man’s head. The hat appeared to have the Philadelphia Eagles logo on it.
At the end of the video, Tepper shakes the man’s hand before exiting the building.
Bar owner Dave Wolforth said he wasn’t there when Tepper stopped by, but was standing behind the message on the sign.
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper before a game against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I think so,” Wohlforth told WBTV. “I believe that with everything he’s heard this year, he’s taken that to heart, and I just want to make sure.
The Panthers’ front office probably wasn’t planning on being particularly busy Thursday night, but the team pulled off a trade to advance to the first round. Carolina closed out the first round by selecting South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Leggett with the 32nd pick.
Shortly after the Panthers’ 2023 campaign ended, a sign was posted outside the restaurant that read, “Meddling owners never win. Run from Jerry Jones.”
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On New Year’s Eve, a video surfaced showing Tepper throwing a drink at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan from his luxury suite during a game. The NFL later fined Tepper $300,000.
The marquee at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill targeted Tepper.
At the time, a sign read: “Bad loss. TEP actually spilled a drink.”
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