4 Carolina Panthers on the chopping block after Matt Rhule’s dismissal

Sean Chandler – Carolina Panthers S

Another player possibly on the way out is Sean Chandler. The safety played under Matt Rhule at Temple and was a surprise name on the final 53-man roster when many anticipated his release after a disappointing 2021 campaign.

The presence of Phil Snow, who was Chandler’s defensive coordinator in college, secured the spot thanks in no small part to the veteran’s expected impact on special teams. Although we haven’t seen much of that through the first five weeks.

With injuries Xavier Woods and Jeremy Chinn, the Carolina Panthers were forced to thrust Chandler into a larger role over the last fortnight and we’ve seen the same deficiencies from the defensive back, especially in pass coverage.

Chinn and Woods proved to be a high-quality tandem. But the drop-off from the starters to the likes of Chandler is vast.

With Juston Burris now on the active roster, the Panthers will hope that Woods’ injury doesn’t rule him out for more games. This would allow new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb to pair the former sixth-round pick with Burris and leave Chandler in a more diminished role.

The injuries amongst the Panthers’ safeties may save Chandler. But once everyone is healthy, he could be a casualty under the new coaching staff.