4 defining moments of Marty’s Hurney’s second stint as GM
By Dean Jones
What were the defining moments of Marty Hurney’s second spell with the Carolina Panthers?
There is going to be plenty riding on the new general manager of the Carolina Panthers. Owner David Tepper took the decision to remove Marty Hurney from the post – the second time he’s been fired by the organization – with a view to a more analytical approach and some fresh ideas to take them forward.
It’s been an eventful few years where Hurney is concerned. He’s managed to bring in some exciting prospects via the 2021 NFL Draft. But it is clear something was amiss from a relationship standpoint with head coach Matt Rhule that led to his dismissal.
What comes next for the Panthers will be vital.
And they have to get it right.
Rhule will be heavily involved in the appointment – which is the right move considering how closely he’ll be working with the new GM – but time is of the essence with some big upcoming decisions needed regarding contract extensions, free-agent signings, and 2021 NFL Draft recruits.
Let’s take a look at four defining moments from Hurney’s second stint as Carolina’s general manager.
Moment No. 1
Extending Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey got a huge contract extension from the Panthers this offseason. The star running back signed a four-year, $64 million deal that included a $21 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed, which was the richest of its kind for a player at the position and tied the All-Pro down to Carolina for his best years.
Things haven’t gone according to plan since.
McCaffrey is still performing at a high level. But injury has restricted him to just three games this season and his inability to stay healthy has come with obvious questions surrounding Carolina’s decision to give him such a lucrative deal in the first place.
Nobody could have envisaged this. McCaffrey hadn’t missed a single game over his first three years in the NFL and was hugely deserving of more money given how much he’s given the Panthers since being taken in the first round back in 2017.