Can the man who once headed the middle of the Carolina Panthers defense soon head the Carolina Panthers’ front office? Don’t count it out.
Along with news of owner David Tepper working on his head-coaching search with consulting firm Sportsology, Saturday’s report from ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter also included an interesting bit on assistant general manager Dan Morgan.
Schefter writes:
Should he fire Fitterer, Tepper then would have a clean slate to offer a prospective head coach and GM, though Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan also has support within the organization, according to sources.
Joe Person of The Athletic would later solidify the sentiment, tweeting that Morgan may have a “pivotal role” during the team’s transition.
Carolina first retained the services of Morgan over two decades ago, when they selected him with the 11th overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft. The University of Miami linebacker went on to play sevens seasons for the Panthers, a productive run that yielded a Pro Bowl appearance in 2004.
After retiring from the game in 2010, Morgan began his behind-the-scenes career as a scouting intern with the Seattle Seahawks—alongside then-area scout Scott Fitterer. He rose in the ranks there, earning promotions to the assistant director of pro personnel post in 2011 and the director of pro personnel post in 2015.
Morgan then moved on to “Carolina North,” as he was hired as the director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills in 2018.
He has served in his current role as Carolina’s assistant general manager since 2021.