A Carolina Panthers veteran may be staring at the wrong side of the 53-man cut line.
With the preseason down to one final game, the Panthers are close to the deadline that will force Dave Canales and his staff to trim the roster to 53 players by Sunday night. Those decisions are getting sharper by the day, and one of the more interesting calls could come at wide receiver.
Tetairoa McMillan is set as the top target on the depth chart, but the picture gets less clear after that. Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette look like roster locks, which leaves a handful of openings and a crowded group fighting for them.
In his latest roster projection, ESPN’s Mike Kaye left David Moore off the team, putting the veteran in cut territory. Kaye had McMillan, Coker, Legette, Brycen Tremayne, Ja’seem Reed, and Jimmy Horn Jr. making the 53-man roster.
Kaye pointed to the rise of the younger receivers and the value of Tremayne’s versatility and special teams work. As he wrote:
“The top trio of McMillan, Coker and Legette was solidified when third-round rookie Chris Brazzell II underwent season-ending knee surgery earlier this month. Reed has flashed regularly during the summer, and Horn has had a nice preseason. Tremayne can play all three wide receiver spots and is among Carolina's top special teams players, so David Moore might need to settle for a practice squad spot.”
Moore has already earned praise from Canales this offseason and has reportedly been solid in camp, so leaving him out is a notable call. Still, the Panthers may decide to lean into youth and upside as they sort through the final receiver spots.
The NFL roster cut deadline is Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Faces Fresh Panthers Pressure After Ugly Day Vs Texans
A rough joint practice against Houston was always going to sharpen the focus on Bryce Young, and it did exactly that for the Panthers. Young took four sacks and threw two interceptions as Carolina worked through an ugly day against the Texans, a reminder that every snap this summer comes with a little more scrutiny for a quarterback trying to steady his place at the center of the offense.
Dave Canales moved quickly to frame the bigger picture, confirming Young remains Carolinas franchise quarterback while making clear the front office will handle any long-term contract talks. Young is already entering the 2026 season with a sizable deal on the books, and after last seasons uneven play, the pressure to show progress only grows when days like this pop up in practice. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Turn Final Preseason Tune-Up Into A Last-Chance Roster Fight
With one more joint practice and a preseason game against the Houston Texans still on the calendar, the Panthers are down to the kind of evaluation period that can swing a depth chart in a hurry. For players sitting on the bubble, this is the last real stage to make a case, and the coaching staff will be weighing more than flashes in camp as it sorts out the final 53-man roster.
That makes names like John Metchie, AJ Dillon, Aaron Hall, Darren Waller, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Chandler Zavala and Sam Hecht especially worth tracking over the next stretch. Some of those players appear to be in better shape than others, but for the ones needing a clean finish, the margin for error is gone and the Panthers still have a meaningful test left before decisions get locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Just Put Carolina's Next Big Decision In Focus
Bryce Young has moved from question mark to centerpiece in Carolina, at least for now. Panthers head coach Dave Canales made it clear Young is the franchise quarterback and pointed to the progress he has made, a notable shift in tone for a player whose future once felt much less certain.
The contract side is still the part worth watching. Young is already secured through 2027 after the team exercised his fifth-year option, but the Panthers have not worked out a long-term extension yet, leaving Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis to sort through a decision that could shape the roster well beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]