Panthers general manager Dan Morgan didn’t sugarcoat it when asked about one of his earliest draft picks leaving Carolina.
Trevin Wallace, a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was among the most surprising cuts in the Panthers’ trim to their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. After clearing out of Carolina’s plans, the third-year linebacker was claimed on Monday by the New York Jets.
On Tuesday, Morgan addressed the decision and made clear it wasn’t an easy one.
"Yeah, it's difficult," he stated. "Me and Trevin, we developed a really close relationship. He's been in my office multiple times, just watching tape together.
"I really wish him the best-obviously, getting claimed by the Jets. Really happy for him and his family, and a new start for him, a new direction.
I know he's excited about it. But again, those decisions-they don't come easy."
Wallace was one of Morgan’s first draft picks after taking the job in Carolina. The Panthers made the University of Kentucky linebacker the third selection of his tenure in the spring of 2024, and Wallace went on to carve out a real role. Over 25 games, he made 20 starts and finished with 125 combined tackles, 3.0 sacks, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
This summer, Wallace was in the mix for the defense’s second starting inside linebacker job alongside fourth-year veteran Claudin Cherelus, lining up next to Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd. But the Panthers went in a different direction after adding free agents Bobby Okereke and Tyrel Dodson, leaving Wallace out of the initial roster and sending him to New York on waivers.
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