Hurney joined Washington with 29 seasons of NFL experience as an executive and will rejoin the franchise where he started his NFL career as a member of the team's public relations department.
Hurney was named the Carolina Panthers General Manager in 2002 and held the position until 2012. He was then brought back as the club's interim general manager in 2017 and maintained the official role from 2018-2020. During Hurney's tenure as general manager, the Panthers appeared in the postseason four times, with two NFC South titles, two trips to the NFC Championship game and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Hurney has had a strong number of draft selections in the first round. Most notably, he selected both QB Cam Newton and LB Luke Kuechly in the first round of consecutive drafts in 2011 and 2012. Newton went on to win NFL Rookie of the Year in 2011, NFL MVP in 2015 along with setting nearly every passing and rushing record in franchise history. Kuechly won NFL Rookie of the Year in 2012 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. Carolina was just the fourth team in NFL history to have consecutive players win rookie of the year honors since the awards inception in 1967.
Hurney's other notable first round selections include DE Julius Pepper (2002), T Jordan Gross (2003), CB Chris Gamble (2004), LB Thomas Davis Sr. (2005), RB DeAngelo Williams (2006), RB Jonathan Stewart (2008), WR DJ Moore (2018) and DE Brian Burns (2019). Peppers was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times, was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2002 and is the Panthers' all-time leader in sacks. Gross started at tackle for the Panthers for 11 consecutive seasons, made three Pro Bowls and is the Panthers' all-time leader in games started. Gamble started at cornerback for the Panthers for nine seasons and is the all-time franchise leader in interceptions. Davis Sr. was selected to three Pro Bowls along with gaining First Team All-Pro honors in 2015 and is the Panthers alltime leader in tackles. Stewart and Williams went on to compile 7,318 rushing yards and 6,846 rushing yards, which is No. 1 and No. 2 in Panthers' history, respectively. Moore has led Carolina in receiving and posted 1,000-plus receiving yards in consecutive seasons and was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2018. Burns ranked No. 4 among rookies in sacks in 2019 and led the Panthers with 9.0 sacks in 2020.
During Hurney's tenure as Panthers GM, he also had considerable success in free agency and through trades. Hurney executed trades for TE Greg Olsen and long snapper J.J. Jansen who were both Pro Bowlers. Olsen holds the franchise record for receiving yards among tight ends and ranks No. 3 overall in receiving yards in franchise history. He also acquired RB Stephen Davis, QB Jake Delhomme, LB Mark Fields and G Mike Wahle via free agency. All four players were named to Pro Bowls during their time with Carolina. Delhomme ranks second behind only Cam Newton as the franchise's leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Prior to being named general manager of the Panthers in 2002, Hurney held the position of coordinator of player operations from 1999-2001 and director of football administration in 1998. Before joining the Carolina Panthers organization, Hurney held the role of coordinator of football operations with the San Diego Chargers under Pro Football Hall of Fame and Washington Ring of Fame executive Bobby Beathard.
Hurney began his career as a reporter covering Washington in the 1980s. After developing relationships with Owner Jack Kent Cooke, General Manager Bobby Beathard and Head Coach Joe Gibbs, Hurney joined Washington's public relations department in 1988.
Hurney is a native of Wheaton, Md. and attended Catholic University in Washington D.C. Before joining Washington's public relations department, he worked for the Montgomery Journal, Washington Star and Washington Times.
