‘Like we’re the worst franchise’: Country singer Luke Combs rips Panthers to Pat McAfee

Luke Combs said it “feels like a century ago” when the Carolina Panthers were in their golden age, with linebacker Luke Kuechly leading a stout defense and quarterback Cam Newton dabbing into America’s heart.

Now?

“It kind of feels like we’re the worst franchise in all of professional sports right now,” Combs said. “It’s really hard to deal with that.”

Combs, one of the world’s biggest country music stars who was born in Huntersville and spent most of his life in the North Carolina mountains including four years at Appalachian State, said this (and much more) on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN on Wednesday.

His appearance came two days after he went to Twitter to express his dislike of the Panthers’ wheelings-and-dealings on Monday, which included trading away edge rusher Brian Burns for a handful of non-first-round draft picks.

Combs’ viral tweet, in part (and in all caps): “WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?!?”

Among the many frustrations the Grammy-nominated artist aired out about his favorite childhood franchise on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday: the hype surrounding the Panthers’ newly hired coach Dave Canales.

“I obviously don’t know Dave at all,” Combs said of Canales, who has been lauded for his ability to get the best out of quarterbacks everywhere he’s been. “I’m sure he’s an awesome guy. But I don’t get the hype behind hiring the offensive coordinator for the 20th best offense in the league. You know what I mean? Just to be completely honest with you. ... There are 20 other guys. I don’t know what the answer is. And if there is some big plan, I just don’t understand it, I’ll tell you that much.”

Some of that “plan,” for what it’s worth, has been on display during this week’s legal tampering period, when the Panthers’ front office has made a bunch of moves to shore up position groups that lacked in 2023, whether because of injuries or talent or otherwise. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Panthers officially agreed to terms with five free agents. That includes DB Dane Jackson, offensive linemen Roburt Hunt and Damien Lewis, linebacker Josey Jewell and defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson.

Combs, 34, has been a Panthers fan from the start. He recalled meeting Panthers legend and original speaker of the team’s “Keep Pounding” battle cry Sam Mills at a Burger King when he was 5 years old. He recalled crying when Tom Brady beat Carolina in a Super Bowl when he was 10.

Combs was asked about Panthers owner David Tepper, and he regurgitated what many Panthers fans have espoused for a while: that Tepper shouldn’t get overly involved in football matters.

“He’s obviously a shrewd businessman,” Combs said. “But I’m a great musician, and I’m not a football coach. I’m great at doing music, but I ain’t at the Combine telling you who to draft. You know what I mean?”

The “Fast Car” singer also made clear his thoughts about the team’s newly promoted general manager — “I’m a big Dan Morgan guy, by the way” — and quarterback Bryce Young.

“I don’t think you can really discern anything about Bryce at this point,” Combs said. “I mean, he was behind a really brutal offensive line. I mean the guy didn’t even have a half-second to throw the ball the entire season. He had two coaches in his first year, so that’s great. Talk about getting set up for success there.”

See the full conversation at the video below.