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Brandt Tilis

Panthers Hire Brandt Tilis As EVP Of Football Operations

January 31st, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Brandt Tilis has landed a position in the Panthers’ new-look front office. The longtime Chiefs exec has officially been hired as Carolina’s executive vice president of football operations, per a team announcement.

Tilis was named as a candidate to join new general manager Dan Morgan when the latter was promoted to his position. Morgan is a rookie general manager with a background on the football side of operations, so a veteran front office staffer experienced in cap management and analytics represented a logical target as his top lieutenant. The most recent update on the situation noted that Tilis had prepared to depart Kansas City’s front office despite the team preparing to play in the Super Bowl.

Tilis spent 14 years with the Chiefs, including three as the team’s VP of football operations. He interviewed with the Panthers for their general manager vacancy earlier this month, but most signs pointed to owner David Tepper elevating Morgan to replace Scott Fitterer. Still, the Panthers-Tilis connection remained strong throughout the hiring cycle, and the long-awaited agreement between the two is now in place.

Tilis will be responsible for, among other things, contract negotiations in his new Panthers position. He held the same duties for much of his Chiefs tenure, playing an integral role in allowing the defending champions to remain amongst the league’s elite teams with Patrick Mahomes‘ mega-contract on the books. Talks with a number of pending free agents – including Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns – will be among the top priorities for Tilis in his first offseason with Carolina.

“It’s great to add Brandt and his experience to our organization,” a statement from Morgan reads. “He comes from a championship-caliber team in Kansas City and will play a lead role in our front office. We are looking forward to getting him here and working together to build this team.”

Panthers Notes: ST Coordinator, QBs Coach, Front Office

January 29th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have made some progress filling their coaching staff, but the team still has a vacancy at special teams coordinator. There’s now at least one known candidate for the job, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Panthers are interviewing Bills assistant special teams coach Cory Harkey for their coordinator job.

[RELATED: Panthers Likely To Hire Buccaneers’ Brad Idzik As OC]

Following his five-year playing career, Harkey caught on as a tight ends coach in the college ranks. He earned his first NFL coaching job with the Bills in 2022, and he spent the past two seasons as their assistant special teams coordinator. Harkey clearly made an impression in his role, as he’ll now have an opportunity for the top ST job in Carolina.

While Harkey will interview for the job, he may not be the favorite. Joe Person of The Athletic passes along that Panthers head coach Dave Canales is targeting Seattle’s Tracy Smith as his special teams coordinator. Smith has had two lengthy stints working alongside Canales in Seattle, most recently as an assistant special teams coach. He also spent three years with the Texans organization, including a 2020 campaign where he served as the team’s ST coordinator. With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, Smith likely wouldn’t see any opposition if he decides to take his coaching acumen to the Panthers.

The Panthers are reportedly zeroing in on Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik as their next offensive coordinator, and while that move hasn’t been made official, that hasn’t stopped the organization from looking to fill out the rest of the offensive coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers requested an interview with Cowboys quality control/offensive assistant Will Harriger for their quarterbacks coach job.

Harriger worked alongside Canales when the two were in Seattle, so there’s a clear connection. The coach recently worked with USC’s quarterbacks during the 2022 season, helping Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. In Carolina, he’d be tasked with guiding former first-overall pick Bryce Young.

As Canales looks to fill his coaching staff, new general manager Dan Morgan is eyeing some reinforcement in the front office. Backing up what we heard last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along that the Panthers are expected to pursue Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a “prominent” front office role. Albert Breer of SI.com passes along that Tilis’ office in Kansas City has already been cleared out, and the executive hasn’t traveled with the team during the postseason.

Tilis was a candidate for the Panthers GM job, and the long-time Chiefs executive was a popular name in recent hiring cycles. In Carolina, Tilis would be expected to play an essential cap/analytics role within the front office.

One executive who won’t be back in Carolina next season is Samir Suleiman. The team has moved on from the director of player negotiations/salary cap manager, per ESPN’s David Newton.

Panthers Promote Dan Morgan To GM

January 22nd, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after it was reported Dan Morgan was in line to stay in Carolina in some fashion, his future has been secured. The Panthers announced on Monday that Morgan has been promoted to general manager/president of football operations.

“Dan has a thorough knowledge of our football personnel and a clear vision to take us where we all want to go,” a statement from owner David Tepper reads. “We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player.”

Morgan was a first-round pick by the Panthers back in 2001, and the linebacker ended up spending seven seasons with the organization. Following his retirement, he spent time in the Seahawks front office, working his way up from scouting intern to director of pro personnel.

He took the same role in Buffalo in 2018 and spent three seasons with the Bills. He was later recruited to the Panthers front office by Scott Fitterer, with Morgan being named assistant GM in 2021. He held that role for three-plus seasons before falling into the interim GM gig after Fitterer was fired this past season.

Throughout the hiring process, Morgan was considered a strong contender for the role. The organization looked at more than 10 different candidates for the GM job, with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown and Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby being among those who earned second interviews. Ultimately, the Panthers decided to stick with Morgan, with sources telling Josina Anderson that the exec has “the trust [and] embedded comfort” of owner David Tepper.

Morgan’s most pressing responsibility is to find a new head coach,and Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network notes that the executive has been participating in the interview process. Morgan will also look to add executives to his front office. Albert Breer of SI.com notes that Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis is a strong contender to join the Panthers. Tilis actually interviewed for the Panthers job, and the long-time Chiefs executive has often showed up in the GM interview carousel. Breer adds that some sources expected Tepper to pair Morgan with a cap/analytics executive like Tilis.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 19th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Commanders making a hire, four teams remain in search of general managers. This includes the Patriots, who have moved on from HC/de facto GM Bill Belichick. If other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown of where searches stand:

Updated 1-30-24 (8:15am CT)

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Panthers Request GM Interviews With Brandon Brown, Mike Greenberg, Brandt Tilis

January 8th, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making the anticipated move to fire Scott Fitterer, the Panthers are joining other teams in sending out interview requests. Three have gone out as of Monday afternoon.

The Panthers want to meet with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Peter Schrager. While assistant Carolina GM Dan Morgan will have a chance to succeed Fitterer, David Tepper is hoping to bring in a handful of outside candidates.

Tepper’s actions in recent months and his general reputation during his ownership run introduce complications for his latest round of hires. But he remains the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner. That component may be important given the state of the Panthers, who do not have their first-round pick this year or their 2025 second-rounder due to the Bryce Young trade. As is the case for HC positions, there are only 32 GM jobs available. That will at least bring candidates to the table.

Tepper has already met with Tilis, who interviewed for the GM job in 2021. The Panthers conducted an expansive search that year, choosing Fitterer, who had enjoyed a successful run as a Seahawks exec. Fitterer did not have full control until Tepper fired Matt Rhule in October 2022, and the owner has referenced his own willingness to veto moves, pointing to Carolina’s GM having to contend with ownership as well. It is not known how Tepper plans to structure his next staff, in terms of handing power to the GM or head coach. That is among the notable questions Carolina faces this offseason.

As for the candidates, Tilis joins Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi in receiving early interview requests. Both have been with the team throughout its Patrick Mahomes-era rise. Tilis was a central figure in the Chiefs hammering out Mahomes’ outlier 10-year extension back in 2020, researching baseball contracts before the team came to terms with its centerpiece player on that landmark deal. The Chiefs have already needed to adjust that contract, due to the quarterback market accelerating in the years since that July 2020 extension. Tilis even predates Andy Reid in Kansas City, joining the team to start Scott Pioli‘s GM tenure back in 2009. Tilis has been in his current position since 2021.

Greenberg joins Tilis in being in his 14th season with his current employer. The Bucs exec is best known for helping the team navigate its salary cap, something that became pivotal during an all-in push centered around Tom Brady. Tampa Bay completed numerous restructures and became a piece of NFL transaction lore in 2021 by retaining its entire starting lineup plus notable backups in an effort to defend a Super Bowl title. While the Bucs could not complete that effort on the field, Greenberg’s work — which included Brady’s initial agreement, a subsequent extension and a post-retirement restructure — helped considerably. The Bucs promoted Greenberg to assistant GM last year.

The Giants hired Brown to be Joe Schoen‘s right-hand man in 2022, an offseason that featured four Eagles execs become assistant GMs elsewhere. Just 36, Brown spent five years with the Eagles, beginning his run with the team ahead of its Super Bowl LII-winning season. Howie Roseman promoted Brown to player personnel director in 2021, putting him on the radar for top lieutenant roles the following year.

Additionally, the Panthers may have their eye on another NFC South exec. Khai Harley, whom the Saints elevated to assistant GM this past offseason, is believed to be on Carolina’s radar, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Harley has helped Mickey Loomis as the team annually comes up with creative ways to free up salary cap space, being the NFL’s restructure kingpins.

Chiefs GM On Designing Patrick Mahomes’ Extension, Building Around Contract

February 9th, 2023 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Signing a 10-year Chiefs extension back in 2020, Patrick Mahomes is finishing up the first year of that pact. After playing the final two seasons of his rookie deal, the soon-to-be two-time MVP has seen the market surpass that landmark agreement already. No reports of Mahomes unrest while tied to a through-2031 contract have come out yet, and the Chiefs made some notable payroll adjustments this year.

The AFC champions traded Tyreek Hill, not long after beginning talks about a second extension, and let Tyrann Mathieu‘s $14MM-per-year contract expire without offering him another deal. Kansas City also reached a pay-cut agreement with Frank Clark. The team did not restructure Mahomes’ deal this offseason, letting the superstar passer’s cap number spike from $7.4MM in 2021 to $35.8MM in 2022.

In place of Hill, the Chiefs signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They later traded for Kadarius Toney, doing so after second-round pick Skyy Moore struggled to acclimate. Missing Hill’s unparalleled deep-threat capabilities, the Chiefs’ receiving corps has battled inconsistency this season. Mahomes and Travis Kelce have still kept the ship on course; the Chiefs ended the regular season first in offensive DVOA.

“There’s a pressure of not wanting to let him down, or fail him,” Chiefs GM Brett Veach said of Mahomes (via SI.com’s Albert Breer). “He can play any type of football, so you feel like you have a little bit more of a window to work with, in regards to what you can bring in here. But at the same time, the expectations are so high, there’s the pressure of you can’t miss anything and you gotta do whatever you can.

“And maybe you don’t have $30 million to throw at a wideout, but you better get good wideouts because you can’t provide him with nothing. So it’s a double-edged sword.”

The Chiefs raised the quarterback AAV ceiling by a staggering $10MM back in the summer of 2020, via Mahomes’ 10-year, $450MM extension. That $45MM-per-year figure has already dropped to fifth — behind Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson — and potential extensions for Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts all stand to come in ahead of Mahomes’ AAV. Mahomes’ deal also came with just $63MM fully guaranteed — well off the previous pace and now several levels down from Watson’s record-shattering $230MM sum — but innovative guarantee mechanisms exist that trigger annual bonuses two years out as long as he is on Kansas City’s roster.

Chiefs director of football administration Brandt Tilis researched baseball contracts due to their longevity, per Breer, and the Chiefs conveyed their unorthodox plan to their centerpiece player. Mahomes’ agents sought a fully guaranteed deal, a la MLB pacts. The sides compromised via the guarantee mechanisms. Mahomes’ 2024 money became locked in on Day 3 of this past league year. His 2025 roster bonus ($38.9MM) becomes guaranteed on March 17, 2023, offering intriguing security. Mahomes has also begun to cash in on incentives — via the Chiefs’ latest AFC championship incentive — and is almost certain to collect an MVP incentive tonight. Those figures add up to $2.5MM.

“We couldn’t do that,” Tilis said, via Breer, of a guaranteed contract. “What we could do was what we ended up with, which is we’ll just guarantee everything a year out. And they followed the math and the cap numbers and the cash numbers and all that, and it was like, How are we ever going to be able to cut this guy? So, I mean, it’s practically over $400MM guaranteed.”

Josh Allen‘s six-year accord came closest to Mahomes’. Otherwise, QBs have stayed on course with four- or five-year contracts. It will be interesting to see how early the Chiefs would be willing to renegotiate with Mahomes. A nine-figure payment awaits in 2027, when his 2027 and 2028 salaries and 2028 bonus lock in on Day 3 of the ’27 league year. With that date four years away and the cap back on its regular climb, the quarterback market will look much different by that point.

In trading Hill, the Chiefs initially turned down the Jets’ offer of their No. 10 overall pick, Breer adds. The team preferred a package of picks, leading to the previously reported Jets offer that centered around their two second-round choices. The Dolphins’ offer of last year’s No. 29 overall pick, 2022 second and three other choices won out. With Mahomes’ cap hits rising, the Chiefs look to continue a more draft-centric approach compared to their late-2010s blueprint. Rookie-deal players comprise 11 spots in Kansas City’s lineup, with low-cost vets like Smith-Schuster and right tackle Andrew Wylie also in this updated equation.

“When Pat had that unbelievable ’18 season and he’s on his rookie deal, you’re trading for Frank Clark and signing Tyrann Mathieu,” Veach said. “You’re hyper-aggressive because you know how talented this quarterback is, and you know he’s in a rookie window, and you know that, within these couple years, you have a chance to really take a big swing at the fences.

“You’re still gonna have to have an aggressive plan [post-extension]. But that aggressive plan ain’t gonna be dropping a ton of money and trading a bunch of picks. That aggressive plan is gonna be the flip side. It’s gonna be not being afraid to move on from players and trying to aggressively acquire picks as opposed to aggressively trading them away and spending money.”

Vikings Begin GM Interview Requests

January 12th, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Likely set to hire an outside GM for the first time in over a decade, the Vikings have taken a bit more time to send out their interview requests. But they sent out their first summons Wednesday night.

Browns vice president of player personnel Glenn Cook received a Vikes interview request, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets. Cook has landed on the radar of both the NFC North’s GM-seeking franchises, having interviewed for the Bears’ GM gig Wednesday.

In addition to Cook, the Vikings sent out requests to speak with Patriots senior consultant Eliot Wolf and fellow Browns staffer Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Those two are also on Chicago’s interview list.

Previously in the Packers organization, Cook joined the Browns in 2016. Cook started in the scouting department and rose to the level of assistant pro scouting director, before climbing to his current post in 2020. The Browns were not exactly a sought-after organization for executive talent when Cook arrived, but they have seen multiple execs receive interview requests during this cycle. Both Minnesota’s other two early interview hopefuls worked in Cleveland, where longtime Vikings assistant Kevin Stefanski landed.

Prior to stays in Cleveland and New England, Wolf enjoyed a lengthy Green Bay tenure. The son of Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf, Eliot has been in the GM mix for a few years now. Yet to rise to a GM role, Wolf interviewed for the Packer job that went to Brian Gutekunst. He also was in the mix for the Colts’ GM post in 2017. The Browns’ vice president of football operations, Adofo-Mensah spent time with the 49ers before joining the Browns in 2020. He interviewed for the Panthers’ GM position last year.

The Vikings are seeking to replace Rick Spielman, who had been with the organization since 2006. In addition to the three requests sent out, Colts VP of player personnel Ed Dodds and Chiefs director of football administration Brandt Tillis are potential candidates, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin tweets.

Chiefs Promote Mike Borgonzi To Asst. GM

June 9th, 2021 at 10:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have promoted Mike Borgonzi to assistant GM, per a team press release. The club also elevated Brandt Tilis to Vice President of Football Operations and Ryan Poles to Executive Director of Player Personnel.

All three executives have been in the mix for GM jobs elsewhere. But, with Brett Veach installed as the Chiefs’ GM, that job won’t be available anytime soon.

The Panthers met with all three executives in this last cycle before ultimately landing on ex-Seahawks VP Scott Fitterer. It’s safe to say that they’ll garner consideration again in the 2022 cycle, but the Chiefs might be able to hang on to them for a while longer with these pay/title bumps.

Tilis has been a key cog in Chiefs contract matters since starting with them in 2010. Among his CV highlights: squeezing in extensions for Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Travis Kelce to keep one of the NFL’s strongest teams in tact. Poles, 36 in September, has served as the assistant player personnel director since May 2018.

2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 12th, 2021 at 8:02pm CST by Zachary Links

This year’s NFL GM carousel figures to be more active than usual. The Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars are all on the hunt for a new front office leader. And that’s only the official list. The real tally shows six clubs looking for a GM, since the Washington Football Team is expected to install a GM to work alongside head coach Ron Rivera. By mid-January, we could easily see a couple more jobs opening up — that’d put ~25% of the NFL on the market.

We’ll keep track of the GM candidates for each club here, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-19-21 (7:02pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Football Team

Panthers Conduct Five GM Interviews

January 7th, 2021 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers’ GM interview list is up to 11. Executives from four teams interviewed for the position over the past two days, with two Chiefs staffers being summoned for meetings.

Chiefs football administration director Brandt Tilis and assistant player personnel director Ryan Poles interviewed for the vacant Panthers post, joining Bears assistant player personnel director Champ Kelly, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds and 49ers VP of player personnel Adam Peters.

Kelly has popped up in the Broncos’ search as well. The Broncos requested an interview with their former staffer, who has been with the Bears since 2015. He has served in his current role for the past two years, previously operating as Chicago’s pro scouting director. Kelly interviewed for the Jets GM job in 2019.

With the Chiefs since 2010, Tilis has been a key cog in Chiefs contract matters. Considering the offseason the defending Super Bowl champions had on this front — extending Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce — and the franchise’s success in recent years, it makes sense a team is interested in Tilis. Poles, 35, has worked in his current position since May 2018. The Chiefs have seen multiple staffers — Chris Ballard and Brett Veach — move into GM roles in recent years, and Poles has been on GM radars for a bit now. The Panthers also have Chiefs player personnel director Mike Borgonzi on their radar.

Peters and Dodds have been with their respective teams for four years, each relocating in 2017 to join Ballard and John Lynch‘s respective staffs. Dodds has been in the GM mix for a bit now, most recently turning down a Browns interview request. For Peters, this is his first go-round of GM interviews. Peters and Matt Rhule have an interesting connection. During Rhule’s 2001 stopover at UCLA as the Bruins’ defensive line coach, Peters was on the roster as a defensive end.

Here are the rest the Panthers’ candidates thus far: