It’s safe to say that David Tepper is done with the 2023 season. During his team’s last loss – a 26-0 shutout against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 – the Carolina Panthers owner seemed threw his drink at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. The NFL imposed a financial consequence on Tepper on Tuesday: a $300,000 fine, according to CBS Sports head Jonathan Jones, NFL Insider.
“All NFL personnel must conduct themselves at all times in a manner that respects our fans and reflects favorably on their team and the NFL,” the league said in a statement, according to NFL Media.
Tepper’s actions, which are unbecoming of an NFL owner, much less a regular fan, are something he acknowledged in a personal statement Tuesday.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and I regret my behavior on Sunday,” Tepper said, according to Jones. “I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL Code of Conduct and accept discipline from the League for my behavior.”
As you can see in the video below, Tepper returns his drink towards the fans sitting outside his luxurious club. Tepper then turned around in disgust as a Jaguars fan began to turn towards his luxury box.
Sunday’s loss dropped Tepper’s team to 2-14, the NFL’s worst record this season. The Panthers’ struggles this season led Tepper to fire Frank Reich just 11 games into his first year as the team’s head coach.
One of the biggest disappointments for the Panthers has been the stunted growth of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who has been sacked 59 times this season. Young was beaten six times Sunday as the Panthers gained just 124 yards and were a paltry 1 of 13 on third down. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick’s 73.7 passer rating is the worst in the NFL, as is his 5.5 yards per pass attempt.
