The Carolina Panthers have fired general manager Scott Fitterer after three seasons, the team announced Monday.
“As we move forward with the new direction of our franchise, I have made the decision that Scott Fitterer will no longer serve as our general manager,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement. “I appreciate Scott’s efforts and wish him and his family all the best.”
Carolina posted a 14-37 record in Fitterer's three seasons and finished 2023 with a league-worst 2-15 record. Carolina previously fired coach Frank Reich 11 games into the season. Under Fitterer, 50, the Panthers' winning percentage of .275 was the lowest in the NFL during that span.
None of Fitterer's draft picks or free agent signees have made the Pro Bowl, although cornerback Stephon Gilmore, acquired in a midseason trade in 2021, went as a backup this season.
The Panthers made a huge move ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft by securing the first overall pick in a trade with the Chicago Bears in March. The Panthers traded wide receiver DJ Moore, a 2023 first- and second-round pick (Nos. 9 and 61), a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick to Chicago for the top pick in the draft.
Carolina used it to select Bryce Young, who struggled mightily in his first year with 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Additionally, the Bears have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft because the Panthers had the league's worst record this season.
Fitterer, a minor league pitcher who played two seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization before arm problems ended his career, came to Charlotte with a reputation as a consensus builder. During a lengthy search to replace Marty Hurney, Fitterer was one of the last of 15 candidates to apply for the job.
Why Tepper fired Fitterer
Fitterer had three years to build the squad, although he was somewhat hampered in the first two years by the fact that previous coach Matt Rhule had contractual control of the staff. And while Fitterer deserves credit for making the move to step up for Young, who was the unanimous choice of Tepper and everyone in the organization, Fitterer didn't surround the No. 1 pick with enough playmakers or protection.
Tepper has a long history of firing coaches – both with the Panthers and Charlotte FC – and other team officials. But he never cleaned with the coach and the GM at the same time. After the Panthers went 2-15 in Young's first season with the NFL's worst offense, it was time. – Joe Person, Panthers editor
GO DEEPER
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer is out and David Tepper's offseason overhaul begins
Where do the Panthers go from here?
It will be interesting to see if Tepper, who works with consulting group Sportsology, decides to use this as an opportunity to reorganize the front office. There have been some rumors that the Panthers might hire a senior vice president of football operations to act as an intermediary between Tepper and the coach/GM. Dawn Aponte, the NFL's chief administrator of football operations, would be a good candidate for such a role.
As for the GM position, keep an eye on Brandt Tillis, vice president of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs, who applied for the job before Fitterer was hired and has a background in analytics (relevant to Tepper), salary cap management and squad strategy. — person
Required reading
(Photo: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)