The Carolina Panthers made the surprising decision to fire general manager Dave Gettleman on Monday, and three prominent former members of the team made it clear they are not shedding a tear for the executive.
Steve Smith, whose 13-year career with the Panthers ended on a sour note in 2014, sent a sarcastic tweet about Gettleman after he heard the news:
Its Okay! Dave I know how you feel….. #agent89 #stevesmithsr pic.twitter.com/czlwuG92Ck
— Steve Smith Sr (@89SteveSmith) July 17, 2017
Smith was cut by the Panthers during Gettleman’s first offseason on the job. He was a fan favorite who many believed would spend his entire career in Carolina, but things didn’t work out.
DeAngelo Williams, who played in Carolina for nine seasons, was far less subtle. The free agent running back referenced the recent list of four NFL teams he said he has no interest in playing for.
I want to publicly say @Panthers is off my list of teams I won't play for due to the firing of that snake Dave gettleman!
— DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) July 17, 2017
Washington cornerback Josh Norman, who also left the Panthers on bad terms, joined Smith and Williams in taking a swipe at Gettleman:
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— *Joshua R. Norman (@J_No24) July 17, 2017
Gettleman isn’t the only person in Carolina that Smith took aim at after leaving, but he obviously places a lot of the blame for the bitter divorce on Gettleman’s shoulders. The way the GM handled the Smith, Norman and Williams situations very likely contributed to him losing his job.
