CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 07: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
After a particularly difficult 2-15 season, the Carolina Panthers began their much-needed rebuild with the firing of GM Scott Fitterer.
“As we move forward with the new direction for our franchise, I have made the decision that Scott Fitterer will no longer serve as our general manager,” owner David Tepper said in a statement.
Fitterer decided to trade up for the number one pick in last year’s NFL draft where the Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young, who didn’t live up to the expectations for a number one pick in his rookie year. That decision only looked worse as the year went on and the number two pick, quarterback C.J. Stroud, led the Texans through a remarkable season and an AFC South division title.
It’s expected that Young will be given at least another full season with the Panthers before any major decisions are made on his future. The Panthers have multiple roster holes to fill, and no first-round draft picks next year to do it. Lots of work will need to be done to assist Young in putting a more consistent and successful product on the field.
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Assistant GM Dan Morgan has temporarily been in charge of the GM duties, but Tepper and the Panthers have already requested an interview with Detroit Lions COO Mike Disner. The GM search is well underway, but this isn’t the only vacancy the Panthers need to fill this offseason.
After a 1-10 start to the season, the Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich and Chris Tabor took over as an interim head coach for the rest of the year. Tabor completed a virtual interview with the Panthers on Wednesday for the position, but he has yet to be hired permanently and is competing with several candidates for the position. The Panthers have listed their defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and multiple other coaches around the NFL as potential candidates for the position. The official updated Panthers coach tracker can be viewed here.
Whoever they bring in will have a lot of work to do.
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