Decision to Draft Bryce Young Over C.J. Stroud Leads to GM Scott Fitterer Firing

Brock Purdy going undrafted and Bryce Young getting picked over CJ Stroud: both of these decisions didn’t age well. Purdy is on his way to winning a potential Super Bowl and MVP award, and Stroud is the favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

While the Purdy decision benefitted the 49ers, it may have called an end to Scott Fitterer’s Panthers‘ career. The decision comes months after owner David Tepper fired head coach Frank Reich in his first season, followed by a couple of management decisions.

Scott Fitterer fired following Bryce Young disaster

Fitterer joined the team in 2021. But his managing journey came to an end on Monday following the Panthers’ 0-9 loss to the Buccaneers. The Panthers ended the season with a 2-15 record, the worst in the league and the worst in their history.

“As we move forward with the new direction for our franchise, I have made the decision that Scott Fitterer will no longer serve as our general manager,” owner David Tepper said in an official statement. He further thanked Fitterer for his service and wished him and his family good health.

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But what may have triggered the consecutive decisions for Tepper? His viral reaction says it all.

Impatient ownership or management blunders?

There’s no denying that Fitterer’s time with the Panthers was filled with debatable decisions and repeated letdowns. The last-season trade with the Bears that allowed the Panthers to achieve a no. 1 pick was his brainchild. While it could be termed the GM’s bad luck that the decision didn’t work out, the next two can’t be.

Fitterer selected Frank Reich as their head coach, but his inexperience led to a 1-10 collapse and he was fired after his first 11 games. Further, he allowed a deal that sent Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers in exchange for a few draft picks, none being in the first round.

Tepper was never a happy man with all the happenings at the franchise, and his frustration reached its peak during New Year’s Eve’s 26-0 loss to the Jaguars. As QB Bryce Young threw an interception with 3 minutes remaining in the game, the owner appeared to throw his drinks over the audience below. He was fined $300k by the league for the misconduct.

But could Tepper have been more composed with his reaction? And with handling of the team that’s trying to build its legacy? That, we may never know, as a fifth head coach bites the dust since his takeover in 2018, quite similar to his MLS side, Charlotte FC‘s fate.

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