The Panthers cannot let the Falcons poach one crucial front office exec

Brandt Tilis may be leaving for the Atlanta Falcons.

Oct 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Carolina Panthers helmet on the turf at Empower Field before the game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have enjoyed quite the turnaround. In 2023, they won two games, and most everyone was fired from that regime. They changed coaches, GMs, and more. The front office and management team were totally remade.

That includes bringing in Brandt Tilis to become the executive vice president. Essentially, he and GM Dan Morgan have worked together to reshape the Panthers and rebuild them. It resulted in five wins in 2024 and then eight and a playoff berth in 2025.

But now, a division rival may want to poach Tilis, the former Kansas City Chiefs exec. It's not totally up to the Panthers, but they cannot let this happen.

Panthers must retain Brandt Tilis amid Falcons interest

Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Atlanta Falcons helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons helped the Panthers get into the playoffs by winning four in a row to get to 8-9 and tie the Panthers and Buccaneers. That gave the Panthers the tiebreaker, and it allowed them to be division champions.

Now, the Falcons have fired their head coach and GM and are looking to reshape their own front office. They are going to have a president of football role, and while it was expected that it would go to former QB Matt Ryan, they're likely to interview Brandt Tilis for the role.

Falcons are expected to interview Panthers EVP Brandt Tilis for their president of football job, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 7, 2026

Tilis has played a huge role in turning the Panthers around. Morgan has as well, but he was the assistant GM for all the disastrous moves Scott Fitterer made. Tilis has molded the analytics department and helped Morgan. It's worked tremendously well.

Losing him would not be a death knell, but it would mean an incredibly smart, valuable executive would no longer be in the building. And to make matters worse, he would be down I-85 and working to rebuild a rival.

The Falcons, additionally, are in much better shape than the Panthers were when Tilis arrived. They're coming off an eight-win season and have a lot of talent. Tilis' work there wouldn't be as difficult as it was here.

One can only hope that the executive wants to stay and continue what he's worked on with the Panthers, but it'd be hard to turn down a promotion with a new team.

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