Rivera didn’t deserve to end his time in Carolina this way, but it’s was necessary so owner David Tepper could get a jump-start on the search for the Panthers’ next head coach.
It can be true that Ron Rivera was the best head coach in Panthers history—a known mensch around the league and a person who has developed a great deal of talent, especially on defense. It can also be true that firing him with a month to go in the season was absolutely the right decision for second-year owner David Tepper to make.