David Tepper, speaking to reporters Wednesday for the first time since Matt Rhule went 5-11 and 5-12 in his first two seasons as coach of the Carolina Panthers, gave a strong vote of confidence to his coach.

The owner reminded that when Rhule was given a seven-year deal in January 2020 he said it could take five years to build an organization capable of sustained excellence.

He added "maybe it'll be six years" on Wednesday.

"I believe in Matt. He has my full support," Tepper said in a 30-minute Zoom session. "... I am a fan. I don't like to lose. Who likes to lose? I want to win. But it takes time and it takes a foundation, and it takes time to create the foundation to win. I do believe Coach Rhule and [general manager] Scott [Fitterer] have done a great job of creating that foundation."

Tepper also gave a vote of confidence to Sam Darnold on the eve of Thursday's NFL draft in which quarterback remains on the table for Carolina with the No. 6 pick.