One former Panthers LB leaves, while team looks to interview another for assistant GM

The Carolina Panthers may be bringing a familiar face back to Charlotte, while another has recently departed the front office.

Former linebacker Luke Kuechly, who retired in January 2020, has resigned from his role as a pro scout, per league sources. He has spent about a year in the position. Kuechly, 30, left the role in March. The decision was not physical health-related, but was more so tied to a desire to take a step back from football at this time.

The linebacker ended what is likely to be a Hall-of-Fame playing career after dealing with multiple injuries in the second half of his eight years in Carolina. The 2012 first-round pick holds many Panthers records and is regarded among the best middle linebackers in recent NFL history. It comes as no surprise, but Kuechly was performing at high level in his job as pro scout, as well, per sources.

He had also considered coaching or broadcasting prior to taking the job as a scout.

In an unrelated development, the Panthers have requested to interview former linebacker Dan Morgan for the role of assistant general manager, per a league source.

The position does not currently exist within the front office, though there were plans for an assistant general manager dating back to the hiring of coach Matt Rhule last January. At the time, Pat Stewart, who formerly worked with the Philadelphia Eagles, was hired as director of player personnel under then-general manager Marty Hurney.

The front office is likely to see multiple changes under new general manager Scott Fitterer with the conclusion of the 2021 NFL draft. Area scout Mike Martin is also expected to leave the team for a role with the Detroit Lions. Many former members of the front office, including Hurney, are now working for the Washington Football Team and Ron Rivera.

Requesting to interview Morgan for the assistant general manager job is far from a surprise.

Morgan is currently the Buffalo Bills director of player personnel, a position he has held since 2018. He previously worked with Fitterer in the Seattle Seahawks front office. The pair have a close relationship and worked together from 2010-18. Morgan began in Seattle as a scouting intern in 2010 and worked his way to the team’s director of pro personnel. During that time, Fitterer was the Seahawks’ director of college scouting and then co-director of player personnel

“Scott’s the kind of guy who’s gonna get that job and he’s gonna hit the ground running. There’s gonna be no relaxing,” Morgan told The Observer of Fitterer in January. “He’s going to be relentless in his efforts of finding great players for that organization. He’s gonna work his butt off, I know that, so I think they should be really excited that they got a hard worker, and they got a really good person, too.”

Morgan, 42, was drafted by the Panthers 11th overall in the 2001 NFL draft. He played for the team through the 2007 season, starting 59 games and totaling 390 tackles, seven sacks, five interceptions and 17 passes defensed.

The team has also requested to interview Eagles assistant director of player personnel Ian Cunningham for the assistant general manager job.