Panthers Request to Interview Saints' Khai Harley for Open GM Position
NEW ORLEANS -- After moving on from the head coach and general manager earlier this offseason, the Carolina Panthers have requested to interview New Orleans Saints cap guru Khai Harley, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Harley was promoted to being the team's assistant general manager and vice president of football administration before the 2023 NFL season. He has also been included in the NFL's front office accelerator program in each of its iterations.
Khai Harley stands on the sidelines before a game.
Khai Harley, Saints VP of Football Administration; Credit: New Orleans Saints
His profile has only grown since the days of fans struggling to find any more than a dozen photos of him online. He has most been noted to helping the Saints navigate and manage their salary cap. His maneuvering of the collective bargaining agreement has spawned trends across the NFL and has allowed the Saints to continue to add talent on a yearly basis while carrying an allotment of dead cap in the process.
Harley has deservedly been on the radar of several NFL teams, but this is one of the first times his name has been directly connected to an open position. In 2021 a similar fortune befell a Saints assistant general manager when Terry Fontenot was hired as the Atlanta Falcons general manager. Time will tell if the same will happen here for Harley and the Panthers.
If Harley were hired by the Panthers, or by any organization's general manager position, the Saints would be awarded two third round compensatory picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The comp picks would be awarded as an incentive for developing and cultivating the talent of a minority candidate for general manager or head coach.
Despite the delayed rise to notoriety, the skyrocketing trajectory Harley has taken since stepping further into the public light has been impressive. Any opportunity he is considered for, he will deserve to get. In the meanwhile, it would be wise for the Saints to consider the lengths it may take to keep him in New Orleans. Additional investment for their long-time secret weapon would surely be worth it.
