Getty Images
Frank Reich
When Frank Reich began his tenure as head coach of the Colts in 2018, the team had Andrew Luck at quarterback and the plan was for that to remain the case for years to come.
However, it didn’t take long for that plan to change. Luck retired after Reich’s first season in Indianapolis and the rest of his time with the team was spent pursuing a starter who would be a long-term answer to the position. The Colts never found one, however, and Reich was fired midway through the 2022 season.
Reich is now the Panthers head coach and there is no plan in place for the quarterback this time around. The Panthers have used three starters en route to a 7-10 record and Reich said he knows he has to come in “with a vision” for what the team will do at a crucial position. He also knows that he may have to change that view due to unforeseen circumstances and that he believes his time with the Colts is preparing him for that.
“I had to work with the young, the old, the pocket setter, the moving guy,” Reich said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s website. “And I think even though it wasn’t always an ideal scenario, like in Indy with a different quarterback every year, I learned a lot because you’re forced to adapt and evolve your offense around different quarterback styles. So I think that bodes well. I’m still learning and growing as a coach; I’m able to better express how things change, depending on the quarterback style That we have. ”
Reich noted that there has been a move “more towards the movement-type quarterback” in recent seasons, but he also knows “we’re going to have to be good out of the pocket.” Finding someone who can take on those responsibilities will go a long way in determining where things go for Reich in Carolina.
