The Carolina Panthers pushed three men out of the door today. But will there be room for at least one more?
Head coach Frank Reich was fired this morning, just 11 games into the first season of his four-year deal with the organization. He would soon be joined by assistant head coach/running backs Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, who were dismissed by interim head coach Chris Tabor and offensive assistant Jim Caldwell later in the afternoon.
So, with all this change going on at 800 South Mint Street, is general manager Scott Fitterer next? ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler tried answering that question.
He writes of Carolina’s next steps:
Fitterer is well-liked and works well with others. Clearly, though, the Panthers have missed often in the past three drafts. Franchise pillars are scarce and so is quality depth. The offensive line, which includes former No. 6 overall pick Ikem Ekwonu, has regressed. And with no first-round pick in 2024, Tepper needs a personnel head to do more with less in April. Maybe that’s Fitterer. But the pressure is on, regardless.
Fitterer was hired as the team’s general manager in January of 2021. The Panthers have gone 13-32 since.
That record isn’t much of a surprise given the roster’s lack of talent, a situation propelled by Fitterer’s numerous draft misses over his three years. His and the brass’ inability to ink two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns to a long-term deal may also prove to be a damaging misstep.
Additionally, Fowler notes that he doesn’t get the sense that “anyone in Carolina feels overly safe right now.”