The Carolina Panthers’ practice squad is the next roster domino to fall, and it’s already giving a clearer picture of which players the team still values after the preseason dust has settled.
That matters because this group has become a real proving ground for Carolina. Ja’Seem Reed was on the practice squad last season before earning a spot on the 53-man roster this year, and quarterback Hendon Hooker followed a similar path as a fan favorite a year ago.
Hooker finished the season with his third NFL team and is trying to open the 2026 season with his fourth. When a player climbs from the practice squad to the active roster, it usually says something about the player’s drive, the scouting process, and just how steep the odds are.
The NFL’s practice squad rules shape the whole exercise. Teams can carry up to 10 players with two or fewer accrued seasons, up to six veterans with no accrued-season limit, and as many as 17 total players if one of them is an International Player Pathway participant. There also has to be a minimum of six players with zero accrued seasons, or seven if an IPP player is included.
With the cut deadline now passed, Carolina’s list of possible practice squad additions is drawing plenty of attention. The names below fall into two buckets: vested veterans who were cut and can sign right away, and younger players on rookie or rookie-contract deals who could still be claimed on waivers or brought back.
Among the vested veterans cut by the Panthers are David Moore, Elijah Garcia, Jake Curhan, Robert Rochell, Isaiah Simmons, Cam Gill, Ja’Tyre Carter, Kyle Trask, James Mitchell, and Jeremiah Moon.
The group of waived players who could return includes Nick Samac, Corey Thornton, Ja’Seem Reed, Trevin Wallace, Jared Harrison-Hunte, Maz Mwansa, Maema Njongmeta, and Roc Taylor.
So far, Carolina hasn’t announced any practice squad signings. That should change soon, and the picture may keep shifting over the next few days.
The practice squad is often more fluid than the 53-man roster, and in Carolina’s case it could tell us a lot about how the front office feels about its depth. It may also reveal how many outside players the Panthers are willing to bring in, and how many of their own castoffs other teams decide to poach.
FanDuel currently has the Panthers at +250 to make the playoffs and -310 to miss them, and while practice squad moves won’t swing that line much, they can still serve as a useful read on roster health.
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The flip side was just as stark, with several recognizable players on the way out, including DeVonta Smith, Jake Curhan and Elijah Garcia. Carolina also worked to shore up its depth up front by making a trade with the Chargers, a move that suggests the front office is still trying to balance immediate roster needs with the bigger task of building a sturdier group for the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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Panthers Final Cuts Raised A Bigger Question About Two Position Battles
The Panthers got to their 53-man roster by the NFL deadline on Aug. 30, but the most interesting part of the process was not just who left. Jaseem Reed, after a strong preseason, was among the notable cuts along with veteran David Moore and third-round pick Trevin Wallace, a reminder that even encouraging August performances do not always translate into a spot once the numbers get tight. Carolina is planning to carry six wide receivers into the regular season, which at least gives the group a defined shape heading into the opener.
Still, the final list left behind a bigger question about where the real decisions were made. The Panthers have a little more than two weeks before they open against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 13, and the roster trim suggests the wide receiver group and the battle around Wallace's position were both under a microscope right up to the finish. For a team trying to settle its depth chart before Week 1, those choices may matter as much as the players who survived them. [Read more 🡒]