4 New Year’s resolutions for the Carolina Panthers in 2021

Build bridges with the fans

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there is friction between the Carolina Panthers and large sections of the team’s fanbase. Nobody likes change – and there has been plenty of that this year – but the way things have been handled by the decision-makers leaves a lot to be desired.

Take the way Cam Newton and Greg Olsen were dealt with during their respective departures. Both players gave everything to the organization for the best part of a decade and for them to just be shipped out without so much as a thank you left a sour taste in the mouth, to put it mildly.

This probably hasn’t been helped with a lack of spectators able to attend games due to COVID-19 health concerns, almost no availability for supporters at training camp, and in general throughout a campaign that has been a rollercoaster of emotions.

However, things should hopefully get better in 2021.

And this would be a good time to start building bridges.

Owner David Tepper has worked hard to change the culture since purchasing the team from Jerry Richardson. He has some ambitious plans off the field and is keen for the fans to become exciting about what he’s trying to achieve.

Carolina Panthers must act fast to land Jerry Reese as GM

The Carolina Panthers need to act quickly if they want Jerry Reese to become their new general manager after Marty Hurney was fired last week.

There will also be a new general manager in place after Tepper made the popular decision to fire Marty Hurney. These are all small steps to winning back the fans’ trust, but it is going to take some time before all of them come around to a fresh set of ideas.