Report: Ex-Panthers Exec Marty Hurney the 'Top Candidate' for WFT's GM Vacancy

Former Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney is under consideration by the Washington Football Team as they look for their next general manager, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport reported Hurney is the "top candidate" and that Washington could make a final decision within the week.

Hurney served as Carolina's GM over two different stints. His most recent spell ran from July 2017 to December 2020, which overlapped with Ron Rivera's time as head coach.

Hiring Hurney would obviously give Washington a strong connection between the front office and coaching staff right out of the gate. That would benefit the 65-year-old because he didn't apparently see eye to eye with first-year Panthers coach Matt Rhule, per ESPN's David Newton:

"It was not so much a power struggle as philosophical differences. Rhule is very process-driven. While he liked Hurney on a personal level and vice versa, they weren't on the same page in terms of analytics and innovation. So that naturally would lead to disagreements on the type of player it takes to build a team that can compete consistently for Super Bowls, as [Panthers owner David] Tepper wants.

"Tepper said repeatedly he wanted a GM who would align and collaborate with Rhule, which is a nice way of saying Rhule and Hurney simply weren't a good match."

Even before he was formally out in Carolina, the idea of Hurney moving to Washington became a topic of discussion.

The MMQB's Albert Breer also reported Dec. 14 it was looking like Rivera would be a leading voice in WFT's GM search if the franchise decided it wanted somebody to assume that role. Rivera has in effect been the lead decision-maker on football matters after Washington moved on from Bruce Allen in December 2019.

Regardless of who gets the gig, figuring out a long-term plan will be the top priority for Rivera and the front office.

Alex Smith's comeback made for a great story, but he turns 37 in May. His production (1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight starts) raises questions about his suitability as a starting quarterback for a full season, too.