David Tepper strikes again: Panthers fire general manager Scott Fitterer
The Carolina Panthers fired coach Frank Reich weeks ago. General manager Scott Fitterer couldn't have felt good about his job security after that.
Then again, nobody who works for Panthers owner David Tepper should feel that good about his or her job security.
Tepper fired another employee Monday morning. Fitterer is out as the Panthers' general manager after three seasons, via NFL Media. Carolina finished the season with a 2-15 record.
It wasn't just the bad record. The team doesn't have its first-round pick in this year's draft due to a trade, and the pick the Panthers made looked pretty bad by the end of the season. The Panthers traded a fortune, including receiver D.J. Moore and their 2024 first-round pick, to move up and draft Bryce Young last April. Young struggled most of his rookie season, while No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud had an excellent season and led the Houston Texans to the playoffs.
The Panthers know who their quarterback is for the next few years, but if Young doesn't improve it will look like a huge mistake. The Panthers have been on the quarterback carousel for years. Young was the sixth different quarterback to lead the Panthers in passing yards during Tepper's six seasons.
It wasn't just quarterback play that doomed the Panthers. There were plenty of roster deficiencies on the two-win Panthers, such as the lack of receiver talent for Young, and that doomed Fitterer as well.
Tepper hasn't been patient. He bought the Panthers in 2018 and next season he'll be on his sixth coach, counting interims. He has been similarly quick to make changes with the MLS team he owns, too.
There will be a total reset for the Panthers brass this offseason. That's not a big surprise after a 2-15 season, especially considering how the owner likes to operate.
