Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that one of the most important tasks for the Panthers moving forward will be to sign HC Ron Rivera to a contract extension.
According to Rapoport, Rivera is in the final year of his contract and team brass believes they need stability on the football side of the organization. On top of that, Rivera and his staff have actually done a pretty good job this year.
As of now, extension talks with Rivera are reportedly “in their infancy” but they’re expected to pick up in the coming weeks.
As for interim GM Marty Hurney, Rapoport says that the hope from many in Carolina is that he remains in place as their full-time GM. It’s worth mentioning that the Panthers would have to go through the process of interviewing other candidates and fulfilling the Rooney Rule requirements before settling on Hurney.
Hurney is currently under contract through June while Rivera is finishing out the final year of his three-year, $19.5-million contract.
If Rivera were to be available, Rapoport says that he would be a coveted head coach with interest from teams including the Bears.
Rivera, 55, has spent the past seven years as the Panthers head coach and has led them to a record of 63-46-1 (57.7 percent), which includes three playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl last year.
We’ll have more regarding the Rams and Rivera as the news is available.
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