Being in on every deal doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be in on enough good ones.
As announced on Monday morning, the Carolina Panthers have fired general manager Scott Fitterer. The decision comes off the heels of a franchise-record 15th loss—a 9-0 defeat in yesterday’s regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Before coming over to Carolina, Fitterer spent two decades working behind the scenes for the Seattle Seahawks. The Seattle native served as an area scout from 2001 to 2010, the director of college scouting from 2011 to 2014, the co-director of player personnel from 2015 to 2019 and the vice president of football operations in 2020.
The Panthers, after parting ways with Marty Hurney for a second time, officially named Fitterer their new general manager on Jan. 14, 2021. The team has gone a combined 14-37 since.
Fitterer’s three-year tenure included what became an exodus of top-tier talent. Over the past two seasons, Carolina has lost the likes of running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver DJ Moore, outside linebacker Haason Reddick and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
2023’s optics have been particularly ugly for Fitterer, whose huge move for this past spring’s No. 1 overall pick has the early makings of one of the most frightening gambles in league history. His case also hadn’t been helped by a handful of questionable free-agent signings, an underwhelming draft class and the failure to sign Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns to a long-term extension.
Now, the Panthers and owner David Tepper—who enter the 2024 offseason without a head coach—are set to begin with a clean slate.
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