The Washington football team is expected to make Marty Hurney its new general manager, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The move, which was first reported by NFL Network, provides another familiar face to coach Ron Rivera.
Hurney spent parts of five seasons with Rivera in Carolina, having been fired twice. He hired Rivera in 2011 and spent another year there before being expelled.
He returned in 2017 as interim general manager and remained in that job until he was fired in December, in part because his “old school” methods clashed with owner David Tepper’s desire to find someone more aligned with a analytical and data-based approach.
Rivera will continue to have the power of football in the organization, as he has been hired to provide a “coach-centered” model, according to owner Dan Snyder. But Washington wanted to add another person to its main office to remove part of Rivera’s administrative burden. Hurney managed the salary cap in Carolina, among other roles. Last season, Washington hired his former Carolina assistant, Rob Rodgers, to fill the role.
Washington also spoke with former Detroit CEO Martin Mayhew, Tennessee Vice President of Personnel Ryan Cowden, and Washington Professional Personnel Director Eric Stokes, among others. Rivera did not interview Kyle Smith, Washington’s vice president of player personnel who has been with the franchise for 11 years.
Hurney returns to an organization he used to cover as a sports writer. He spent four years covering them for the Washington Times before moving to the team’s public relations department. He became San Diego’s deputy general manager in 1990.
Washington hired 12 former Carolina coaches and head athletic coach Ryan Vermillion after landing Rivera. He also hired Rodgers, Stokes and professional scout Donnie Warren, who had also been with the Panthers.