Dan Morgan will be the Carolina Panthers’ next president of football operations and general manager, the team announced Monday. He replaces Scott Fitterer, who was fired on Jan. 8 after three seasons and a 14-37 record.
“Dan has a thorough knowledge of our football personnel and a clear vision to take us where we all want to go,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement. “We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player.”
Morgan was the team’s assistant general manager from 2021 to 2023. He previously was the Bills’ director of player personnel for three seasons, a period that saw Buffalo make the postseason twice and reach the AFC Championship.
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Morgan, a first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, played seven seasons at linebacker in Carolina and made the Pro Bowl in 2004.
The Panthers finished the 2023 season a league-worst 2-15 but do not have their top draft pick after making a massive move leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. Carolina acquired the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in a trade with the Chicago Bears in March for wide receiver D.J. Moore, 2023 first- and second-round picks (Nos. 9 and 61), a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-round pick to Chicago for the top selection.
Carolina used it to select Bryce Young, who struggled in his rookie season 1 with 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Why Morgan?
It’s a bit of an odd look for Tepper to hire an outside consultant firm and then hire an in-house candidate, especially one with close ties to Fitterer. Morgan spent nearly a decade with Fitterer in Seattle and the two are close friends. While Fitterer’s track record over his three years left plenty to be desired, Panthers fans can only hope Morgan has a stronger voice when it comes to his dealings with Tepper but also in making sound personnel decisions. Morgan worked for three years in Buffalo alongside Brandon Beane, one of the most respected GMs in the league. — Joe Person, Panthers beat writer
What’s the next move?
The Athletic has reported that Tepper is expected to bring in an executive to serve as a buffer between ownership and football. Kansas City Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis, who has a background in salary cap and contracts, is the frontrunner for the role. That potentially could be a good step for Tepper, who has a long history of being hands-on with football decisions.
This type of front-office structure would be similar to San Francisco, where John Lynch is GM and Paraag Marathe is president of 49ers enterprises and executive VP of football operations. — Person
Required reading
(Photo: Joe Person / The Athletic)