Mike Florio takes a very serious and very public shot at Panthers’ owner David Tepper:
And the incoming quarterbacks have more power than ever before. Their money is the source of it. They have earned plenty. They have (or should have) banked a lot of it. They can make it clear to the Panthers, privately or if need be publicly, that they won’t sign a contract with the Panthers. That whoever is drafted by Tepper’s team will sit out for a year, live off his NIL money (and possibly earn more of it), and re-enter the draft the next time around. That’s how it works. If a player is drafted and doesn’t sign a contract, he re-enters the next draft. If he does it again, he can pick whichever team he wants after the next draft…
It’s high time for incoming quarterbacks to take a stand when it comes to being forced to play for an inept organization. And there’s always strength in numbers. The Panthers should be the first target for a collective “no thanks” by the top prospects.
Florio tends to be a little too inclined to tell other people what they should do for my liking. But for once, his inclination toward interference in the business of others is both justified and sound. David Tepper always looked like he’d be a disaster as an NFL team owner and a disaster is exactly what he’s turned out to be. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if there are more influential NFL figures speaking through Florio’s voice here.