The Carolina Panthers received bad news on Friday, leading up to the season opener, as the defense lost a player for the entire 2025-26 season. Reports indicate that a newly acquired cornerback who was primed for a spot on the active roster tore his ACL in practice.
Damarri Mathis, who was picked up off waivers by the Panthers on August 27, suffered a torn ACL in his first practice with the team, according to Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer. The 26-year-old cornerback will now miss the 2025-26 campaign, and Carolina will likely have to make a roster move before the Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Panthers CB Damarri Mathis tore his ACL in his first practice on Wednesday.”
Mathis was initially picked up off waivers by the Panthers after being cut by the Denver Broncos in August. He's in the final year of his four-year rookie contract worth over $4 million. He is on track to make $3.406 million this season.
Now that he's injured, the Panthers will have two options. The club will either place him on the season-ending IR, effectively ending his season, or the front office will elect to offer an injury settlement to Mathis. If Mathis were to agree to an injury settlement, then he would no longer be on the roster and would become a free agent.
Mathis is entering the fourth season of his career after spending the first three with the Broncos. He's played sporadically so far, making appearances in 43 games while starting in 18 of them. The former fourth-round pick has played more of a rotational role, which is what he would have likely done with the Panthers.
In his three seasons in the league so far, Mathis has recorded 103 combined tackles (81 solo) and nine pass deflections. Hopefully, he can make a full recovery and push for a roster spot for an NFL team next offseason.
