Carolina Panthers complete their initial 53-man roster. Here’s who made the team

The Carolina Panthers made a lot of important decisions Tuesday. Carolina, in the first year of the Dave Canales era, has cut its roster from 91 players to the league-mandated 53-man limit.

The Observer has been tracking all of the movement as the team worked to get to its initial 53-man roster. Check out Tuesday’s melee below.

Carolina Panthers release initial 53-man roster

The Panthers’ initial 53-man roster has been announced. And while this doesn’t mean the roster is finalized — the Panthers have first dibs on the waiver wire and intend to use it to acquire talent before noon on Wednesday — it’s a good snapshot of what this team will look like in 2024.

Here’s what Carolina’s lineup is now:

Offense

• QB (2): Bryce Young, Andy Dalton.

• RB (3): Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear.

• WR (7): Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, Xavier Legette, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, David Moore, Jalen Coker.

• TE (3): Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Ian Thomas.

• OL (10): Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, Robert Hunt, Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Chandler Zavala, Andrew Raym, Cade Mays, Yosh Nijman.

Defense

• DL (7): Derrick Brown, Shy Tuttle, A’Shawn Robinson, Nick Thurman, LaBryan Ray, Jaden Crumedy, Jayden Peevy.

• OLB (4): Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Johnson, K’Lavon Chaisson, Eku Leota.

• ILB (4): Shaq Thompson, Josey Jewell, Claudin Cherelus, Trevin Wallace.

• CB (5): Jaycee Horn, Michael Jackson, Troy Hill, D’Shawn Jamison, Chau Smith-Wade.

• S (5): Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Jammie Robinson, Demani Richardson.

Special teams

• K Eddy Piñeiro

• P Johnny Hekker

• LS JJ Jansen

Cornerback waived

Among the Panthers cut late in Tuesday’s process was cornerback Willie Drew.

Panthers release Jordan Matthews after great camp

Jordan Matthews has been waived by the Panthers, a league source told The Observer. The veteran wideout-turned-tight end led the team in receiving yards after the first preseason game and was someone in the Panthers’ locker room looked up to. Matthews is a “vested veteran,” meaning he’s now a free agent and isn’t subject to waivers. He seems to be a prime candidate the Panthers would want to bring back on the practice squad.

Jordan Fuller, a Panthers safety, said called Matthews’ influence in the locker room “super special” last week.

“I don’t want to misspeak and say how many years he’s played — I think it’s like Year 11 now — but if you want to know how to get to Year 11, you just look at him, and see how he works … like what his daily process is,” Fuller said of Matthews. “Like honestly, that’s really what’s got him to this point. If he didn’t approach everything like that, I don’t know if he’d be here, you know what I’m saying? But because he is who he is, he’s here with us right now. So, yeah, big ups to him. He definitely motivates me, I know he motivates a lot of guys on the team — just without him even saying anything, just seeing him go about his business.”

Panthers plan to waive wide receiver Terrace Marshall

Terrace Marshall Jr., the Panthers’ 2021 second-round draft pick who flashed buckets of potential in each of the past two preseasons, has been waived by the Panthers, The Observer has confirmed via a league source. ESPN was the first to report the news. Marshall was on the bubble all 2024 preseason in a pretty deep receiving room and operated well under the Canales microscope. Still, with the whole picture in mind — one that included a 2023 season that saw him be a healthy scratch for a handful of games and request to be traded midseason — Canales opted to cut him in favor of others in the WR room. This move could lead to positive news for others in the receivers unit, including undrafted free agent Jalen Coker, WR/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette and/or Canales disciple David Moore.

Carolina cuts more guys as Panthers roster gets pared down

It’s just past 11:30 a.m., and the Panthers are sitting at just about 75 guys to waive/release before the 53-man roster becomes “official” at 4 p.m. Some other notables who’ve been cut:

▪ TE Jacob Hollister (via The Observer)

▪ OLB Derrick McLendon (via The Athletic’s Joe Person)

▪ OLB Kenny Dyson (confirmed by The Observer)

▪ G Ike Boettger (via The Observer)

Quarterback Jack Plummer cut by Panthers

The Panthers are waiving undrafted free agent quarterback Jack Plummer, according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Plummer struggled in his two preseason starts but had a great showing in the team’s preseason finale, when he came in after a single series from starter Bryce Young. Canales likes having a third quarterback in the QB room — and even hinted on Monday that Plummer might sneak onto the 53-man roster because of the valuable “emergency QB rule” — but now Plummer is subject to waivers. If he clears, it’s likely he’ll find a home on Carolina’s practice squad.

Running back Mike Boone is released

Running back Mike Boone, who had a great preseason and had an outside shot at making the 53-man roster, has been released by the team. Boone has been in the league for more than four years, which means he’s a “vested veteran” — which means he’s not subject to waivers. He’s a free agent now. That said, if the Panthers have a player or two they are keeping on the 53-man roster for now who they plan to immediately put on IR for Week 1 — i.e. Sam Franklin, who’s out with a broken foot — then it’s conceivable the Panthers could sign Boone back onto the full team.

Defensive back, linebacker and special teams aces go to waivers

As 11 a.m. approaches on cutdown day, a slew of other Panthers have been waived. That includes:

▪ LB Chandler Wooten (via The Athletic’s Joe Person). Wooten was balancing on the bubble this offseason after proving his worth as a special teams guy last year and with Tae Davis going down with an injury during the Panthers’ second preseason game with the Jets.

▪ DB DiCaprio Bootle (via Person). Bootle made himself a valuable resource last year in a depleted-by-injury secondary last season after starting with the Panthers’ practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in late October.

Carolina cuts pass rusher, wide receiver and more as deadline approaches

Carolina’s roster purge is ongoing as the team looks to get down to the 53-man limit by 4 p.m.

Along with keeping RB Jonathon Brooks (ACL) and pass rusher D.J. Wonnum (quad) on their respective injury lists to start the season, the team has also cut a handful of players.

Below are the most recent departures:

▪ G Jack Anderson (confirmed by The Observer)

▪ WR Mike Strachan (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero)

▪ OLB Luiji Vilain (via Pelissero)

▪ TE Feleipe Franks (via Pelissero)

▪ DB Rudy Ford (via The Athletic’s Joe Person)

▪ WR Sam Pinckney (via Person)

▪ RB Jaden Shirden (via Person)

With those seven departures and the pair of injury list designations, the Panthers are down to 82 players — including IPP exemption player, Junior Aho — as of 10:15 a.m.

D.J. Wonnum sticking to PUP list, will miss at least four games

The Panthers will need to wait to see a return on free-agent addition D.J. Wonnum.

The former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher will begin the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Wonnum sustained a torn quad last season while playing in Minnesota.

The Panthers signed Wonnum to a two-year, $12.25 million deal in March. The South Carolina alum was expected to tandem with fellow free-agent addition, Jadeveon Clowney, at the starting outside linebacker spots. Instead, Wonnum was forced to watch practice and the preseason throughout the summer as he recovered from surgery.

With his placement on the reserve/PUP list, Wonnum will miss at least four games to begin the season.

The Panthers’ pass rusher group currently features Clowney, 2023 third-round pick D.J. Johnson, Eku Leota and K’Lavon Chaisson, among others.

Wonnum’s placement on the injury list opens up a roster spot for another player. The Panthers are expected to active on the waiver wire on Wednesday at the edge position, as they have a pressing need there and also own the top priority on the waiver wire.

Jonathon Brooks to miss first four games on injury list

Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, as expected, is set to start his first NFL season on an injury list.

Brooks, who has been on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list all summer, will head to the reserve list, a league source confirms. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the decision by the front office.

Brooks tore his ACL last November while playing for the Texas Longhorns. The Panthers traded up in the second round to select Brooks with the 46th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Following the selection, the Panthers brass and Brooks both expressed confidence that the rookie could return to the field in time for training camp. However, that summer return never happened, and Brooks missed the entire offseason as he recovered from knee surgery.

During camp, head coach Dave Canales didn’t rule out a Week 1 return, but he did make it sound like an unlikely scenario. Canales mused that a Week 3 or Week 4 return would be more plausible. Brooks will now miss at least four games on the reserve/NFI list.

With Brooks sidelined, the Panthers are expected to field a backfield led by Chuba Hubbard. Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear are expected to be part of the rotation. Journeyman Mike Boone also had a standout summer in the backfield.

With Brooks headed to the reserve list, the Panthers will open up another spot on their roster for a healthy player.

Panthers start cuts: Guard waived to begin day

The Panthers waited until Tuesday to begin their cut-down process.

Guard Jack Anderson, who was signed midway through the preseason, was waived early Tuesday morning, a league source confirmed.

Anderson played in two preseason games for Carolina. He started the preseason matchup against the New York Jets.

The Panthers’ roster is currently at 90 players — with the inclusion of International Pathway Player, Junior Aho — ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

Panthers roster cuts: What you need to know

▪ The Panthers, who are monitoring several injuries coming out of training camp and the preseason, can place two players on the injured reserve list with return designations at the cut-down deadline.

The players on the list will miss at least the first four games of the season, but they won’t force the Panthers to cut two others players in order to stash them on injured reserve on Wednesday. If the Panthers have more than two players they want to place on injured reserve with return designations, they’ll need to hold those players through final cuts before placing them on injured reserve at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

▪ Players placed on injured reserve at the cut-down deadline without return designations will be unable to return during the season. Instead, those players will remain on the list throughout the season or reach injury settlements with the team. Depending on the length of the settlement, the players can return to the team once the parameters of the settlement have been met. For instance, if a settlement is paid out for six weeks, the player can’t return to the team until that timeline passes.

▪ The Panthers have two players eligible for the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list: Outside linebackers Amare Barno (knee) and D.J. Wonnum (quad). That duo is currently on the active/PUP list, so they count toward the 90-man roster. If they stay on the list past the cut-down deadline, they’ll revert to the reserve list — they’ll will no longer count against the active roster — and miss at least the first four games of the season. Following the first four games, they can be activated at any point.

▪ Second-round pick, RB Jonathon Brooks (knee), is the lone player on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list. If he remains on the list past the cut-down deadline, he will revert to the reserve/NFL list and will no longer count against the active roster. In that scenario, he will miss at least the first four games of his rookie season.

▪ DT Junior Aho, the team’s designated International Pathway Program player, doesn’t count against the 90-man roster. If he is cut and placed on the practice squad, he won’t count against the 16-man limit, either. Aho’s IPP status allows the team to keep a 17th player on the practice squad without issue. Aho is a native of France.

▪ Follow Observer reporters Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) and Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05), and columnist Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler), on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the Panthers’ latest news throughout the day.