CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One week after Panthers owner David Tepper fired head coach Frank Reich for an abysmal 1-10 start, it remains unclear if further organizational changes are expected, including the status of general manager Scott Fitterer.
As of this weekend, Fitterer hasn't been given any guarantees that he will be back with the team after the season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"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," Schefter reported. "Even so, league sources believe Fitterer's future remains up in the air."
Fitterer joined the Panthers in 2021, replacing Marty Hurney. Under his watch, Carolina has made several high-profile trades, including sending Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco and shipping wide receiver D.J. Moore and multiple draft picks to Chicago in exchange for No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young.
Some of Fitterer's offseason signings have also drawn scrutiny as Carolina's offense has struggled. To date, Adam Thielen's had the biggest impact as Miles Sanders, D.J. Chark and Hayden Hurst haven't given the Panthers much of a spark this season.
Schefter also reported that the Panthers will likely hire another offensive-minded head coach to help develop Young. One of the hottest candidates was in the mix last year. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson briefly flirted with Carolina before removing himself from consideration for another year in Detroit. It was reported at the time that Tepper was "enamored" with Johnson, who canceled his interview with the Panthers a day before he was expected to meet with the team.
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