Panthers GM Dan Morgan likens owner David Tepper to 'misunderstood' movie villain
The Carolina Panthers, and owner David Tepper, are ready to turn the corner.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan was a guest on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show. After covering some on-field items, primarily the team's exciting 2025 draft class, host Pat McAfee asked Morgan about his experience working with Tepper.
"He is definitely misunderstood," Morgan replied. "He is somebody that you can talk to, hang out with, laugh with, have a good time with. He just wants to win—just like I want to win, just like Coach [Dave] Canales wants to win. He's gonna supply everything that we need to win.
"We're getting a new indoor facility outside, stadium renovations are on the way. So things are changing around here, things are looking really positive—and that's a testament to David and Nicole Tepper."
Tepper hasn't built up the most pristine résumé during his near-eight-year run as team owner.
From his drink-tossing episode in Jacksonville to his hat-snatching incident at a local bar in Charlotte, the bold billionaire is not a stranger to controversy. (Plus, when it comes to the gridiron itself, the Panthers have not even sniffed the playoffs in any of his seven seasons at the helm.)
But according to Morgan, Tepper really isn't the "big bad wolf" some may perceive him as.
"It's like a villain in a movie that you think they're a certain way—but then you're actually here, you're with 'em every day and they're the total opposite of what you thought," he later added.
Along with investments for the team's new practice facility and the upcoming upgrades to Bank of America Stadium, Tepper has also turned his resources towards the community.
David and his wife Nicole, as noted by McAfee, made an initial $3 million commitment towards relief efforts following Hurricane Helene—the tropical cyclone that caused devastation throughout the Southeastern United States this past September. He'd then go on to help raise over $24 million for the cause after hosting an all-star country music benefit concert at the stadium in October.
As for the football—the Teppers, Morgan, Canales and the Panthers are hoping to snap what's currently a franchise-record playoff drought (seven seasons) in 2025.
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