It has not been a standout year for the Panthers on the field. And the team’s owner might have made it an even worse look above it.
Video shared on social media Sunday appeared to show team owner David Tepper throwing his drink at someone from a luxury box at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars dominated the game and won 26-0. The Panthers clinched the worst record in the NFL.
A bit different of a mood from him after the game https://t.co/DP68vKx1U5 pic.twitter.com/llOqHXS4yI
— Med (@Kahuna_Med) December 31, 2023
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Joe Person of The Athletic: “We are aware of the video and have no further comment at this time.” Person said the Panthers declined to comment.
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Tepper has owned the Panthers since May 2018, when he completed a purchase from former owner and founder Jerry Richardson. He purchased the team for $2.2 billion. He had previously owned a minority stake in the Steelers.
Since buying the Panthers, the team has been in a near-constant state of turmoil. Carolina has gone no better than 7-9 in his first year as the owner. During that time, the team has had Ron Rivera, Perry Fewell, Matt Rhule, Steve Wilks, Frank Reich and Chris Tabor all serve as either head coach or interim head coach.
The 2023 season has arguably been the low point of the Tepper ownership. The Panthers, at 2-14, have clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for the Bears after trading for the top pick in 2023 with Chicago.
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With that pick, the Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who has struggled throughout his rookie year. The quarterback taken after Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, is likely on his way to a unanimous Offensive Rookie of the Year selection and could be a game away from leading the Texans to the playoffs.
Per a report from The Athletic, Stroud’s success factored into Tepper firing Reich during his first year as head coach despite Tepper describing the decision to take Young over Stroud as “unanimous.”
David Tepper net worth
Per Forbes, Tepper has a net worth of $20.6 billion. He largely earned his wealth by creating Appaloosa Management in 1993, and he is credited by Forbes as being considered “arguably the greatest hedge fund manager of his generation.”
Among NFL owners, he ranks as the third wealthiest, per ProFootballNetwork.