Panthers hire Seahawks' Fitterer as new GM

The Carolina Panthers reached an agreement with Seattle Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer for their general manager position, the team announced Thursday.

Fitterer's pact with the Panthers is a five-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

A member of the Seahawks' front office since 2001, Fitterer holds a background in college scouting. He was promoted last year to vice president of football operations. Previously, he served as Seattle's director of player personnel.

Fitterer will take over for Marty Hurney, who was fired in December. The Panthers were known to be seeking a more analytics-minded executive to spearhead their football operations.

Fitterer was one of four candidates to receive a second interview with Carolina, joining the Tennessee Titans' Monti Ossenfort, Ryan Poles of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Adam Peters of the San Francisco 49ers.

"We went through a thorough process and it was a great final four," Panthers owner David Tepper said. "We thought Scott was the best fit for the organization."

The Panthers went 5-11 in 2020, their first season under head coach Matt Rhule. Carolina has posted just one winning season since losing Super Bowl 50 at the end of the 2015 campaign.