Carolina Panthers fire general manager Marty Hurney

The Carolina Panthers fired general manager Marty Hurney on Monday. The Panthers are just 1-5 this season, and they have lost four games in a row.

"I understand this decision by [Panthers owner Jerry Richardson] and will always have an extremely close relationship with him. I consider him the best owner in the NFL," Hurney said in a statement. "I am responsible for everybody in coaching, the players, the scouts and everybody in football operations."

Hurney was general manager of the Panthers since 2002, and helped build teams that appeared in two NFC Championship games, as well as the 2003 Super Bowl. But the Panthers have not had a winning record or made a playoff appearance since they won a division title in 2008, and they haven't won more than six games in a season since 2009.

Frustration had been mounting within the organization, as evidenced by quarterback Cam Newton, who called for changes to be made following the team's loss to Dallas on Sunday. While Carolina has not yet made any changes on the field, it took the first step toward reorganizing its front office by parting ways with Hurney.