The Panthers have let go of a veteran linebacker.
Carolina announced on Tuesday that the club has released K’Lavon Chaisson.
Chaisson, 25, was the Jaguars’ No. 20 overall pick out of LSU in 2020. But he has not lived up to that level of production, registering just 5.0 sacks with 11 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits in 57 career games. He’s also started 11 contests, though none since 2021.
Last season, Chaisson picked up 2.0 sacks with four tackles for loss and eight QB hits. \
The Panthers signed him as a free agent in March.
Carolina will start its season on Sunday with a matchup against the Saints.
The Panthers are signing quarterback John Wolford to their practice squad, Joe Person of TheAthletic.com reports.
The team currently has Bryce Young and Andy Dalton on its 53-player roster and undrafted rookie Jack Plummer on the practice squad.
The Buccaneers cut Wolford from their roster this week.
Wolford went undrafted, entering the NFL with the Jets in 2018. He was the primary backup to Matthew Stafford when the Rams won the Super bowl in 2022.
He has started four games, going 2-2 with one touchdown and five interceptions
Ron Rivera, a two-time coach of the year and head coach during Carolina’s Super Bowl season of 2015, is joining NFL Network.
Via BarrettSportsMedia.com, the league announced the hire on Thursday.
Rivera coached the Panthers from 2011 through 2019 and the Commanders from 2020 through 2023. In November 2020, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of a lymph node. He successfully beat the disease.
The league’s in-house media outlet also hired former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o and former NFL receiver Isaiah Stanback.
The hires come several months after the NFL abruptly dumped Melissa Stark, Andrew Siciliano, James Palmer, and Will Selva.
NFL Network also will televise seven games this season — three in London, one in Munich, and three on the Saturday of Week 17.
The Panthers have made a couple of roster moves.
Carolina announced on Thursday that the team has signed tight end Jordan Matthews to the 53-man roster off the practice squad.
As a corresponding move, Carolina placed defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy on injured reserve. He will be out for at least four weeks.
The Panthers are dealing with a pair of injuries at tight end, as Tommy Tremble has a hamstring issue and Ian Thomas has a calf issue.
Matthews was a receiver earlier in his career but switched positions. He has not caught a pass in a regular season game since 2019, but he has 274 career receptions for 3,288 yards with 22 touchdowns.
The Panthers had first position for waiver claims after posting the worst record in the league last season and they put it to good use on Wednesday.
Carolina claimed six players to shake up their 53-man roster a day after setting it and they focused on cornerback above all other spots. They claimed Keenan Isaac, Shemar Bartholomew, and Tariq Castro-Fields after trading for Michael Jackson last week and they cut loose a couple of defensive backs that made the initial cut.
Head coach Dave Canales said that he and General Manager Dan Morgan tried to find players who fit what they want to do on defense and will now look to see which of the players step up to make the most of their opportunity.
“We’ve got guys to look at, so just again gathering as much information,” Canales said, via the team’s website. “We were hoping for somebody to just step up and take it and really show us what they can do. For me, it’s my responsibility, Dan and I, to really bring in the traits and the type of guys that we’re looking for. So I’m excited to get the look, [for someone] to show up and take it.”
Jaycee Horn, Troy Hill, and fifth-round pick Chau Smith-Wade are the longer-tenured corners and the Panthers will have a lot of work to do to mesh all the pieces into a cohesive unit before they head to New Orleans on September 8.
