Dave Gettleman, Not Ron Rivera, Should Be Fired
In the last few weeks, I have seen a lot of people on social media calling for Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera to be fired. I have to say, in my opinion, this would be a mistake and would set the Panthers back a long way. I don't believe at all that this 1-5 start to 2016 is on Ron Rivera at all. I place this incredibly bad start, and quite frankly very bad team, squarely on the shoulders of GM Dave Gettleman.
Gettleman makes all personnel decisions for the Panthers, and coach Ron Rivera can only work with what Gettleman gives him. Gettleman is the guy who has decided not to re-sign guys who were very important to the Panthers Super Bowl season a year ago. Gettleman is also the guy responsible for not being aggressive in free-agency this past offseason, all while knowing the Panthers had glaring needs that needed to be addressed for them to have success this season.
So while it is easy to blame a 1-5 record on coaches, take a moment to think that coaches can only work with what they are given, coaches must get help from the GM level to be successful. And currently Panthers GM Dave Gettleman seems content to sit on over $20 million dollars in salary cap space without making any moves or attempting to give the coaching staff help.
The point? Head coach Ron Rivera shouldn't be fired, however Panthers GM Dave Gettleman should be, and that is the responsibility of Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Richardson bring in a new GM at this point.
