It sure looks like Panthers owner David Tepper threw a drink at Jaguars fans after a 26-0 loss

2023 has not been a good year for Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper.

The billionaire hedge fund manager was hoping for his first winning season since purchasing the franchise in 2018. He traded away multiple first and second round picks, along with star wideout DJ Moore, for the right to select Bryce Young with the first overall pick of last spring’s draft. He hired Frank Reich as head coach in order to develop his prized young passer. And, despite a lack of depth, Tepper set his sights upon contention in a weak NFC South.

This is not what has happened. The Panthers have slumped to the NFL’s worst record. Reich was fired after flip-flopping on offensive play calling and subtlely hinting the coaching staff wanted to draft presumptive offensive rookie of the year CJ Stroud over Young, only to be overruled by Tepper. There’s no silver lining to being this bad, either; the Chicago Bears own Carolina’s first round pick — a pick that’s certain to be first overall after Sunday’s defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s a loss Tepper didn’t seem to handle well.

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

That’s Tepper, in a luxury box at EverBank Stadium, winging a drink through the open window and toward a crowd of Jaguars fans late in Sunday’s 26-0 loss. Regardless of his intention, it’s a bad look for an owner who has developed a reputation as an obstinate and hotheaded presence who clashes with his personnel when it comes to team matters. And, since it was caught on video, it quickly made Tepper a trending topic.