KC Chiefs Lose VP of Football Operations Brandt Tilis to Carolina Panthers

Kansas City will be without a key front office member, as Tilis is officially heading to Carolina to join the Panthers organization.

It's a move that many anticipated, and now it's official. The Kansas City Chiefs are losing vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, with the high-ranking front office member departing to join the Carolina Panthers organization. 

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Tilis is taking a role as the Panthers' executive vice president of football operations. 

Panthers named former Chiefs’ executive Brandt Tilis as their new Executive VP of Football Operations.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2024

Once the calendar turned to January, Carolina allegedly focused on Tilis for a general manager position. The franchise reportedly conducted an interview with him on January 15, helping pave the way for both sides to eventually make this move happen. Owner David Tepper has had his eyes on Tilis for a few years now, as he previously interviewed with the Panthers in prior hiring cycles. This role reads differently than a GM job, although Tilis will still be tasked with plenty in Carolina.

Tilis leaving Kansas City isn't coming as much of a surprise to anyone. For example, Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback reported before the AFC Championship Game that Tilis wasn't traveling with the Chiefs to Buffalo or Baltimore for playoff road trips. Additionally, at the time, his "office in KC has already been cleaned out." Now official, Tilis will hope to achieve similar or even greater success with the Panthers.

This marked the end of Tilis' 14th season with the Chiefs and his third in his now-former role. He has experience as a director of salary cap & football operations analytics, as well as a general salary cap/contract analyst. He's most known for his detailed work on helping lock up superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a long-term megadeal a handful of years ago. Back in 2020, Conner Christopherson of Arrowhead Report wrote about the job Tilis and fellow staff members did alongside general manager Brett Veach during that offseason:

Despite the uncertain future of the NFL salary cap, the Chiefs were smart in locking Mahomes, Jones, and Kelce into their deals when they did. Their contracts, while totaling a lot of money, actually left cash on the table and were team-friendly in ways the Chiefs needed. Their contracts will let the Chiefs move money around easily, depending on what money they need and when they need it, which will be very important with the future of the salary cap in question.

The culture the Chiefs built, a culture where players are willing to leave some money and financial stability on the table to better the team, led to this outcome and gives the Chiefs an incredibly unique advantage. It’s a credit to all involved that the Chiefs are in this position, and it’s time for Brett Veach to continue to do his magic with this unprecedented flexibility.

New Panthers GM/president of football operations Dan Morgan chimed in on the Tilis hire via a statement on the team's website. 

"It's great to add Brandt and his experience to our organization," Morgan said. "He comes from a championship-caliber team in Kansas City and will play a lead role in our front office. We are looking forward to getting him here and working together to build this team."

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