Dan Morgan is headed to his original NFL home, and for his biggest job yet.
The Panthers announced Saturday they have hired their former star linebacker to be the assistant general manager. It's a promotion Morgan has been working toward from outside of Carolina for more than a decade.
He spent the past three years as the Bills' director of player personnel, helping assemble one of the best rosters in the league. Before that, he served in multiple roles during an eight-year tenure with the Seahawks, including director of pro personnel. Those experiences made him the favorite to be general manager Scott Fitterer's top lieutenant in Carolina, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Morgan was one of four known candidates to interview for the position earlier this week.
His NFL journey began with the Panthers, who made him the No. 11 overall pick in the 2001 draft. He would earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors before injuries forced him to retire after seven seasons. He joins a Carolina franchise that has gone 5-11 the past two years but appears to be trending upward after an especially active offseason. Fitterer, who arrived just four months ago himself, has already acquired a new quarterback in Sam Darnold and revamped all three levels of the defense for second-year coach Matt Rhule.
Now he's brought back a rising talent in the industry.
Tune in to the 2021 NFL Schedule release at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 12, on NFL Network, NFL.com and the NFL app.