then signed with Washington, leading the team to draft three corners to replace him. The Panthers' year started with a close loss to the Broncos in a Super Bowl rematch. A win against the 49ers the following week didn't help, as the team went 1–5 over the first six weeks. After a week 13 blowout loss to Seattle, the Panthers rebounded to win two straight. However, they couldn't stop the Falcons who won the NFC South, ending Carolina's three-year run. Newton had statistically the worst season of his career and the team finished with a 6–10 record. The season was also marked by the death of former special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven. Four days after the season ended, team president Danny Morrison resigned. The Panthers also lost defensive coordinator Sean McDermott who became Buffalo's head coach. 2017 season 2017 proved to be among the wildest seasons in Panthers history. Newton underwent offseason shoulder surgery and rehabbed for most of the remaining offseason. Longtime Panthers executive Brandon Beane left to become Buffalo's GM. Days before training camp, owner Jerry Richardson suddenly fired Dave Gettleman. The team hired his predecessor, Marty Hurney, as interim GM. The 2017 regular season had ups and downs, including a week 4 win over defending Super Bowl champion New England and trading WR Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills on Halloween. However, this all paled to the weekend of December 17. The Panthers entered the weekend 9-4 overall. On the evening of December 15, the Panthers announced they were undergoing an internal investigation of Richardson for what was termed "workplace misconduct". The NFL announced they were taking over the investigation on Sunday. A few hours later, the Panthers beat the Packers 31–24, intercepting Packers QB Aaron Rodgers three times. Sports Illustrated then published a lengthy article detailing Richardson's multiple workplace allegations, including sexual harassment and racial allegations. A couple hours after the Panthers-Packers game ended, Richardson issued a statement announcing he was putting the team up for sale at the end of the season. The statement made no mention of the SI article. On Monday, December 18, the Panthers announced Richardson was giving up control of the team to Panthers executive Tina Becker. The Panthers had a chance to win the NFC South in week 17, however, a loss to Atlanta gave the Saints the division title. They finished the regular season 11-5 and made the playoffs. In