3 things Scott Fitterer must do to earn trust of Carolina Panthers fans
By Jordan Davis
How can general manager Scott Fitterer earn the trust of Carolina Panthers fans during an important offseason in 2023?
After more than three years of ineptitude under the Matt Rhule regime, the Carolina Panthers front office and coaching staff have undergone a much-needed update.
The new staff is a cocktail of NFL experience and youthful ingenuity. Despite all of this change, David Tepper decided to retain general manager Scott Fitterer, who joined the team in the 2021 offseason.
During Fitterer’s tenure to date, the Panthers made several questionable roster decisions that contributed to the terrible on-field product. These poor moves brought many Panthers fans to wonder why he stuck around in an offseason that seems to be all about turning a new leaf.
Why not just start fully from scratch? The prevailing sentiment is that Fitterer was not all to blame for these decisions.
There is a lack of clarity regarding the power dynamic that existed between Fitterer and Rhule. It has been reported that the head coach was granted full roster control, which may have limited the general manager’s options.
From a fan’s perspective, it is hard to evaluate Fitterer’s performance. We do not know exactly which decisions were his. So, it is illogical to pin all of the bad decisions on Rhule while crediting all of the good ones to him, and vice versa.
Within the new staff structure, it appears that Fitterer will assume the traditional role and responsibilities. He’ll have control over the 53-man roster, which means the spotlight has increased exponentially.
There will be no one else to blame for the roster decisions this go around. In a very pivotal offseason, Fitterer boasts an opportunity to either endear himself to Panthers fans or to become public enemy No. 1.
Here are three ways Fitterer can earn the trust of Panthers fans this off-season.