The Carolina Panthers have been a disaster since Ron Rivera left.
So, one would think that they would go with the guy who got the players’ trust, got them to run through a wall for him, and put a mediocre team in a position to win a divisional title as their next head coach.
Instead, the Panthers’ front office just shook Steve Wilks’ hand and wished him well.
Of course, there’s no denying that Frank Reich is a more-than-suitable head coach candidate, and any team would be wise to hire him — Panthers included.
But this once again sheds light on one of the most worrisome and obvious trends in the National Football League.
That Black coaches aren’t measured by the same standards for head coaching positions, and there’s simply no way to hide it anymore.
That’s why NFL insider Myles Simmons took to Twitter to voice his frustration about this situation:
“Every NFL owner gets to do what they want, which I understand. But you look at what Steve Wilks did as an interim HC vs. the abject disaster that Jeff Saturday‘s Colts were and Saturday is still a candidate and Wilks got passed over for the man Saturday replaced and…” Simmons tweeted.
Every NFL owner gets to do what they want, which I understand. But you look at what Steve Wilks did as an interim HC vs. the abject disaster that Jeff Saturday's Colts were and Saturday is still a candidate and Wilks got passed over for the man Saturday replaced and…..
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) January 27, 2023
Wilks led the team to an unlikely 6-6 finish with a terrible quarterback situation and without their best player.
They likely would’ve made the playoffs with him in charge of the team since day one.
The Colts replaced Reich with former player Jeff Saturday, who had zero experience as a head coach at the collegiate and professional levels.
Meanwhile, guys like Byron Leftwich, Eric Bieniemy, DeMeco Ryans, and now Wilks have to settle for assistant coach positions.
Once again, this is not a knock on Reich, who might do an excellent job in charge of the Panthers.
But the sole fact that Wilks’ job was in jeopardy after the season he had is reason enough to realize the field is never even.
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