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KC Chiefs: Panthers going through similar general manager drama

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 11: A detailed view of a Carolina Panthers helmet during pregame against the San Diego Chargers at Bank of America Stadium on December 11, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 11: A detailed view of a Carolina Panthers helmet during pregame against the San Diego Chargers at Bank of America Stadium on December 11, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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When the KC Chiefs fired their general manager last month, people were calling them crazy and disorganized. It was unheard of for a GM to be canned at the time of the year. Now, however, the Chiefs aren’t alone in that category.

Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs have started a new trend. They relieved John Dorsey of his general manager duties last month, and now the Carolina Panthers have fired their general manager Dave Gettleman after being with the team since 2013.

These two firings are eerily similar and it shows that the KC Chiefs might not be the most disorganized organization in the NFL. The Chiefs had seen a lot of success on the field with Dorsey as their GM, just as Carolina had with Gettleman up top. He was responsible for bringing in star players like Kelvin Benjamin and Star Lotulelei.

While the Panthers had a bad year in 2016, they were coming off an appearance in the Super Bowl the season prior, which makes this even more baffling. At least with the Chiefs, they hadn’t even come close to sniffing a Super Bowl, which could have added frustration with the organization (though not making it to a Super Bowl is unlikely for why Dorsey was let go, I’m sure).

Another story that seems to be connected to the Chiefs axing Dorsey is that it’s been reported that contract negotiations (or lack thereof) played a huge decision in why Gettleman was canned. Remember Josh Norman? The elite cornerback that played for Carolina in 2015? Could he have been a reason why the Panthers made this move?

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That wasn’t a pretty situation for the Panthers organization, as Norman took his talents to D.C. after the 2015 season wrapped up. Carolina’s defense suffered the following season as a result.

The Chiefs had similar issues with John Dorsey, who postponed inking Justin Houston and Eric Berry to large deals when they were first eligible to do so. Once both guys went out and played like true NFL stars, Dorsey had to shell out a lot more cash to keep them in Kansas City. That could have played a part in Clark Hunt’s decision to fire John Dorsey, but we’ll never know for sure.

At the end of the day, I know a lot of KC Chiefs fans probably don’t care about the Carolina Panthers, but I found these stories to be way too similar and I thought it deserved a discussion. The Chiefs were perennial winners under Dorsey and he was fired after four seasons with the team while Gettleman was with the Panthers during their run to a Super Bowl and then booted the following season.

Both guys also had replacements in sight with Chris Ballard in Kansas City and Brandon Beane in Carolina both departing for their own general manager jobs. Ballard ended up in Indianapolis and Beane went to Buffalo. Both of these losses made the firings even more confusing.

Is one situation crazier than the other? We’re not sure as to what happened on either side at the moment, but all we know is that the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t the latest NFL team to ever fire their general manager now. That’s a good weight to have off their shoulders.