Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers part ways with front-office executive, the latest in offseason of change

Former Carolina Panthers executive Adrian Wilson. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Former Carolina Panthers executive Adrian Wilson. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers have confirmed another change in their front office.

The team and vice president of player personnel Adrian Wilson have parted ways, a Panthers spokesperson confirmed to The Charlotte Observer on Sunday morning. Wilson joined Carolina in February 2023.

“Adrian Wilson will not continue in his position as vice president of player personnel for the Carolina Panthers,” a team spokesperson wrote to the Observer in a statement. “Consistent with our organizational policy on employee matters, we will have no further comment.”

Wilson, a High Point native and former N.C. State football player, came to the Panthers after eight seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, where he was a key fixture with the team’s scouting department. He was co-interim general manager with the Cardinals at the end of 2022.

The former Carolina executive was also a five-time Pro Bowl safety in 12 seasons with the Cardinals — and one of six players in NFL history with at least 25 career sacks and 25 career interceptions.

Pro Football Talk had the news first.

Wilson’s departure is the latest in a string of them following a front-office reorganization this offseason, joining former vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman, director of pro scouting Rob Hanrahan and assistant director of pro scouting Tyler Ramsey, among others.

The Panthers, coming off a league-worst 2-15 season in 2023, entered this offseason clear about their intentions to restructure their front office similar to other successful NFL franchises like the San Francisco 49ers. That entailed giving general manager Dan Morgan, who was promoted in the winter, the official title of “president of football operations/general manager” and hiring salary cap guru and longtime Kansas City Chiefs executive Brandt Tilis as the team’s executive vice president of football operations.

This sea of change is also underscored by the arrival of a new coaching staff led by Dave Canales, who has hired a lot of offensive coaches from his days in Tampa Bay and Seattle. Ejiro Evero, the conductor of last year’s stalwart defense, remained as defensive coordinator and brought back the rest of his defensive staff.

This story was originally published July 7, 2024 at 11:55 AM.

Alex Zietlow
The Charlotte Observer
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
Mike Kaye
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
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