The Panthers referred to a front-office “restructuring” when naming Dan Morgan as the new president of football operations/General Manager on Monday. Morgan will head the “personnel operation.”
Joe Person of TheAthletic.com reports the Panthers want to pair Morgan with an executive with a salary cap and contracts background to serve as a buffer between owner David Tepper and Morgan.
That person won’t be front office executive Samir Suleiman, who no longer is with the team, David Newton of ESPN reports.
Tepper is targeting Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, according to Person. Tilis interviewed for the Panthers’ G.M. job three years ago before Scott Fitterer was hired.
The team will have to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one external minority and/or female candidate for senior-level positions.
Tilis has spent 14 seasons with the Chiefs, three in his current role. He also has worked as director of football administration (2017-20) and director of salary cap and football operations analytics (2014-16) after originally joining the club in 2010 as a salary cap/contract analyst.
Tilis was the lead negotiator on Patrick Mahomes’ contract.