The Carolina Panthers began the process of reducing their roster ahead of the NFL’s 53-man limit by releasing 18 players on Monday. This move comes as teams across the league prepare to meet Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline for final roster decisions.
Among those released was kicker Matthew Wright, the most experienced player in this round of cuts. His departure leaves rookie Ryan Fitzgerald as the only kicker currently on the roster. However, head coach Dave Canales recently noted that the team would continue to evaluate all available kickers before making a final decision. “They’d look at all the available kickers,” Canales said last week.
Seventeen other players were waived and will need to clear waivers before potentially joining any team’s practice squad. Quarterback Jack Plummer, who spent most of last season on the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster for its final two weeks, was among those let go.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins, who played in the preseason finale, was also waived. With these moves, only starter Bryce Young and backup Andy Dalton remain at quarterback for now.
The full list of transactions includes:
– Waived: QB Jack Plummer, QB Bryce Perkins, RB Emani Bailey, RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, WR Kobe Hudson, WR Jacolby George, WR TJ Luther, TE Dominique Dafney, OL Steven Losoya, OL Luke Kandra, OLB JJ Weaver, LB Jacoby Windmon, CB JaTravis Broughton, CB Mello Dotson, CB Tre Swilling, S Jack Henderson and S Isaac Gifford.
– Released: K Matthew Wright
The Panthers must still make 19 additional moves by Tuesday’s deadline to comply with league requirements regarding active rosters.
