Some Carolina Panthers fans believed it would be general manager Scott Fitterer, not head coach Frank Reich, that first got the axe if the 2023 campaign continued to go south. But that, of course, wasn’t the case.
On Monday, owner David Tepper made the decision to part ways with Reich—firing his third head coach just 11 games into his tenure. But is the remaining half of Carolina’s “power duo” still in danger?
ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the following on Saturday evening:
It also remains uncertain who will help guide Tepper. The Panthers haven’t given general manager Scott Fitterer any assurances that he will be retained, league sources said, though Carolina has intimated to some around the NFL that it would like to keep Fitterer. Even so, league sources believe Fitterer’s future remains up in the air.
While much of the blame for this embarrassing 1-10 record can be placed on Reich’s stubbornly stagnant offense, there isn’t much on that offense to work with—particularly for No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Plus, the organization’s failure to, at least thus far, secure two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns on a long-term deal may also fall on Fitterer, especially after he reportedly turned down an extremely lucrative offer for him last year.
So we’ll see, with six games left, what (and who) can be salvaged.
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