Report: Panthers’ interview with Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly ‘went overtime’

Las Vegas Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly is in the process of trying to knock that “interim” label off, as he’s currently taking up interviews for a few general manager openings. Those openings include the one for the Carolina Panthers, who may have gotten quite an impression of the highly-regarded candidate.

Yesterday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Kelly’s chat with the Panthers took place on Thursday, and that it “went well.” Taking it a step further, ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler tweeted on Saturday morning that the interview “went overtime.”

Kelly got his NFL start in 2007, as a college scout for the Denver Broncos. He went on to assume the roles of assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and assistant director of pro personnel between 2008 and 2014.

The Campbellton, Fla. native then moved on to the Chicago Bears, where he was installed as the director of pro scouting in 2015 and the assistant director of player personnel in 2017. Kelly would be hired as the assistant general manager for the Raiders in 2022.

Kelly is one of 11 known candidates for Carolina’s general manager post. He is also slated to talk with the Raiders about their position today.