The Carolina Panthers have their next front office leader.
They didn’t have to go far to find him.
The Panthers announced Monday they had hired former linebacker and current assistant general manager to be their next general manager and president of football operations. Morgan was hired as assistant general manager in May 2021 after front office stints in Seattle and Buffalo.
“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 replaces Scott Fitterer, who was fired by the Panthers two weeks ago after three seasons as the team’s general manager. Carolina went 14-37 under Fitterer. Morgan had been handling day-to-day operation of the team following Fitterer’s dismissal.
Morgan was the 11th overall pick by the Panthers out of Miami in the 2001 draft and helped Carolina reach the 2004 Super Bowl in his second season, where he had a record 25 tackles in a 32-29 loss to New England. He played seven seasons in Charlotte before being released in February 2008 due to several injuries. He signed with the Saints but announced his retirement in May. A comeback attempt with New Orleans in 2009 was short-lived, and he retired for good on June 8, 2009. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Morgan’s first order of business will be hiring a new head coach after the team fired Frank Reich following a 1-10 start in his first season with the franchise. It marked the second straight season the Panthers dismissed their coach in the middle of the year. The focus will likely again be on an offensive-minded coach who can help 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young develop into a franchise quarterback.
