CHARLOTTE – Scott Fitterer was not the first candidate the Panthers spoke to.
Clearly, he left an impression that lasted.
The Panthers offered the Seahawks’ vice president of football operations the role of the team as general manager.
The Panthers interviewed Fitterer by videoconference on Monday, the last day of the 15 preliminary interviews for the job.
He returned for a personal interview on Wednesday, the last of the four finalists to meet coach Matt Rhule and owner David Tepper for the second time in person.
Fitterer has been with the Seahawks since 2001 and operated as a GM co-assistant under John Schneider – who just signed a contract extension until 2026.
A former college sports player (UCLA and LSU), Fitterer spent three years as a pitcher at the Toronto Blue Jays organization before shoulder problems ended his baseball career.
From there, he landed a job with the Giants (New York, not San Francisco) as a part-time scout and joined the Seahawks in 2001 and worked his way through the college’s scouting department.
(this story will be updated)