Matt Rhule not sold on staying in NFL?

Matt Rhule has won just eight games in two seasons as head coach of the Carolina Panthers, and now there are some questions about just how committed he is to staying in the NFL.

Joel Klatt, the college football analyst for FOX Sports, reported Wednesday on “The Herd” that he has been told that Rhule “is not all the way in on the NFL moving forward” and could potentially return to the college ranks.

The timing here is no coincidence as there are many attractive opportunities at marquee college programs right now. LSU and USC are among the teams looking for a new head coach. The Penn State job could open up as well if coach James Franklin decides to take one of the above-mentioned gigs.

The 46-year-old Rhule rose to prominence in the college ranks as the head coach of both Temple and Baylor. He is also an alum of Penn State. Rhule’s time in Carolina had not gone particularly well either. The Panthers are on a current four-game losing streak, and Rhule has been the target of criticism. There will certainly be options available for Rhule if he decides that an NFL head coaching job is not all that it is made out to be.

Photo: Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports