The Carolina Panthers had us wait it out on Sunday evening, going well past the league's 6 p.m. ET deadline to officially announce their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. But the reigning NFC South champions finally turned in their work, and made up for their tardiness with a bit of intrigue.
As is the case with every team every summer, the roster cutdown included some shockers. While many players are deserving of a spot on the program, there are only so many to go around.
So, whose departures caught us off guard?
Here are the Panthers' four most surprising cuts of the weekend . . .
WR Ja'seem Reed
Reed made plays throughout spring and summer workouts this offseason, establishing himself as an emerging talent in the wideout room. Heck, he even got some
praise from president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan during the broadcast of the second preseason game.
Now, in what makes the move especially surprising, the second-year pass catcher is been left up for grabs on the waiver wire.
DL Jared Harrison-Hunte
Harrison-Hunte, an undrafted free-agent addition from 2025, performed well this preseason. He seemed to be a decent bet to make a rather thin defensive line room.
But he was left on the outside, as the Panthers went out and acquired TeRah Edwards in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers.
ILB Trevin Wallace
Wallace (and Claudin Cherelus) both seemingly lost out on the inside linebacker competition when the Panthers came to terms on a deal with eighth-year veteran Bobby Okereke on Saturday. His cut, however, was a development perhaps no one saw coming.
At worst, Wallace could've served as some much-needed depth for the middle of the defense. Instead, the 2024 third-round pick is on waivers.
CB Corey Thornton
Thornton faced a similar fate to Wallace. He too lost out on his battle, with Chau Smith-Wade standing out as the top slot cornerback this summer.
And like Wallace, Thornton—who performed rather well as a rookie last season—is on the wire.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 4 biggest surprise cuts for the Panthers
