Dan Morgan steadied the ship during his first year as general manager. That didn't stop one NFL analyst from questioning his long-term future with the Carolina Panthers if the necessary improvements don't arrive in 2025.
Morgan is working with a long-term plan in place. David Tepper is willing to give the project time, but the Panthers haven't had a winning record under his ownership as yet. That needs to change sooner rather than later to confirm this project is heading in the right direction.
The Panthers could be a dark horse challenger for the NFC South if Morgan can successfully navigate the 2025 NFL Draft. There are still glaring holes to fill, but the front-office leader has nine selections right now. Speculation is also rising about a trade-down from No. 8 overall to acquire more assets if the right opportunity comes along.
There is momentum around the Panthers after a decent end to the 2024 campaign. Maintaining these standards is the next objective, which is often much trickier. Morgan and head coach Dave Canales' aligned vision should keep complications to a minimum, and the players are now fully bought into the new regime's ambition.
Analyst projects Carolina Panthers' shake-up if improvements don't arrive in 2025
Gary Davenport from The Bleacher Report highlighted this in greater detail, giving Morgan a 5/10 on the hot seat scale entering 2025. The analyst thought an underachieving campaign could lead to another shake-up in Carolina, which would be nothing short of disastrous in the grand scheme of things.
"[Dan] Morgan inherited a difficult job in Carolina in 2024—the Panthers were a terrible team with no first-round draft pick as a result of the Bryce Young trade. Young showed some signs of improvement last year, but the Panthers were atrocious defensively, surrendering just under 180 yards per game on the ground. Given the team’s myriad needs, the Panthers aren’t especially likely to be a factor in the NFC South this year, and with Carolina's owner not exactly known for his patience, a shakeup in Charlotte can’t be ruled out."Gary Davenport
This seems a little drastic. Being erratic didn't do the Panthers any favors whatsoever under previous regimes. Tepper's trigger-happy willingness to fire key staff led to panic, rash gambles, and complete dysfunction. There is finally stability, so capitalizing on this is crucial.
If the Panthers go 3-14 or something similar, all bets are off. However, looking at the improvements made to the roster this offseason and the promise displayed by quarterback Bryce Young, that seems unlikely.
The Panthers are moving up, not down. This is not the finished product, but it was never going to be. Morgan's planning for the future and putting the team's interests first meant this was going to be a gradual route to contention. And if it takes a little longer to get things right, so be it.
Morgan's got the Panthers in a better place, there's no getting away from that. At the same time, this remains a precarious situation that could go either way right now.
Getting off to a good start is critical. Anything less could come with serious consequences attached.