Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper in his second year appears to be ushering in a new era for the franchise. Following the firing of long-time head coach Ron Rivera, there is a belief that Tepper will infuse the organization with executives from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tepper, a former minority Steelers owner, is believed to be in-pursuit of Pittsburgh's general manager, Kevin Colbert, who is on an expiring contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. He could also pursue vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan.
Tepper is in the process of selling his minority stake in the Steelers. He is from Pittsburgh.
According to Schefter:
“Tepper knows Colbert and Khan, worked with both men and respects them — and some sources think he would like to try to find a way to bring them to Carolina.”
The Panthers currently have a general manager under contract, in Marty Hurney. However, he has said nothing to ensure his long-term outlook with the team, despite him signing linebacker Shaq Thompson to a big contract on Saturday. Per Schefter, Tepper also plans to “name an assistant general manager to focus on pro personnel evaluation and a vice president of football operations.”
Carolina sits at 5-7. Tepper has emphasized building a winning culture in Charlotte since he purchased the franchise.
It appears as if changes are coming at every level for the Panthers. The head coach is gone, Tepper could get “his guys” in the front office and franchise quarterback Cam Newton is rumored to be on the trading block.