The Carolina Panthers have a chance to enter the NFC South title picture next season. Dan Morgan needs to ace the 2025 NFL Draft and hope his free-agent investments pay off, but there's an opportunity to make waves when all hope seemed lost once upon a time.
Morgan is working with a long-term plan in place. The Panthers were starting from rock bottom (literally). There was nowhere to go but up, and the project was going to take time. Fortunately, the team showed enough promise over the second half of 2024 for owner David Tepper to implement some much-needed patience for the first time under his leadership.
This is a constant assessment from Morgan. He's a methodical roster builder, taking things step by step and making priorities obvious when certain areas aren't meeting the required standard. The front-office leader is doing this without jeopardizing future financial flexibility.
The Panthers won't hesitate to make difficult decisions to benefit the team. There is no sentiment attached whatsoever, which should keep urgency high among those who aren't considered franchise cornerstone pieces right now.
With this in mind, here are five extremely early Panthers salary-cap cut candidates in 2026. Although there is still time for that to change.
All financial projections come via Over the Cap.
Extremely early Carolina Panthers salary-cap cut candidates in 2026
Tommy Tremble - Carolina Panthers TE
- 2026 salary-cap savings: $4.5 million
- Dead cap money: $2 million
The Carolina Panthers gave Tommy Tremble a big vote of confidence this offseason. Dan Morgan initially stated that the tight end would be allowed to test the market. These plans changed quickly.
Tremble was expected to draw interest. The Panthers didn't let things get that far, re-signing the former third-round pick to a two-year deal shortly before the legal tampering window opened.
This was great news for Tremble, who'll get the chance to hone his skills further under the same coaching staff. All signs are pointing up, but the Panthers rightfully gave themselves an out on his contract if they aren't satisfied with his progress.
What comes next is down to Tremble. If he maintains the same urgency and forms a productive tight-end partnership with Ja'Tavion Sanders, the Panthers will be happy to keep him around. This is also dependent on whether those in power find another promising option via the 2025 NFL Draft with nine selections at Morgan's disposal.
If Tremble cannot meet expectations with a bigger salary coming his way, cutting him next season is a relatively straightforward exercise.