On Monday, the Carolina Panthers made waves with the shocking dismissal of a competent General Manager. Sound familiar?
Two years ago, the Carolina Panthers made it to the biggest stage of all: a Super Bowl berth. On Monday, they fired the architect of that roster with the dismissal of General Manager Dave Gettleman. It’s a move that shocked the NFL, yet sounded eerily familiar to Kansas City Chiefs fans, who are now well-versed in a story that was unheard of only months ago.
Last month, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt decided to let John Dorsey walk instead of extending him, as expected, for another five years along with Head Coach Andy Reid. It was a shock given that Dorsey is widely respected as a talent evaluator, but clearly some under-the-surface issues arose to such a level that Hunt had to rid the organization of Dorsey, achievements aside. Brett Veach was soon named as his successor, and the Chiefs have now turned the page.
Before Dorsey’s firing, it was completely unheard of for a General Manager to be let go at such a point in the year. Normally a coach’s Black Monday was also true of front office execs for teams wanting a clean slate. Now, it seems any time of year is possible if there’s reason to pull the trigger. Apparently it’s clear that decent options are available that any point in the calendar—or at least that’s the perception.
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Not only have both teams, the Chiefs and Panthers, opened the door for such timing, but they’ve also shortened the leash on General Manager tenures. It’s natural for a front office exec to feel the warmth of a seat growing hot if the results aren’t there in the standings. Yet both Dorsey and Gettleman are men who had their teams in great places (or at least enjoyed a fairly recent view from the top). Apparently even that isn’t enough for a GM to feel safe and secure these days.
The Chiefs were loaded for another playoff run this season while simultaneously having their future franchise quarterback secured, a rare place for most NFL teams. The Panthers also have their franchise quarterback in place and went 15-1 just one season ago. In his four-year tenure with the Panthers, Gettleman went 40-23-1 and won three division titles in four seasons, including the Super Bowl run. Last year, the Panthers underachieved, going 6-10, but does that really undermine the achievements of the previous three seasons?
In today’s NFL, it’s clear now that winning isn’t enough. A GM must also win the right way. He must handle himself with the right attitude, communicate properly, massage the roster as well as the owner’s ego. He must be all things to all men.
Even then, he’s likely to get fired.