Carolina Panthers Make Three Roster Moves on NFL Trade Deadline Day

The 2026 NFL trade deadline is officially in the books as a few moves hit before Tuesday's deadline. However, no big trades involved the Carolina Panthers. 

With Carolina at 3-5 on the year in a very down NFC South division, they opted to be neither buyers or sellers at the deadline. Instead, they stood pat and will roll with what they have moving forward for the rest of the season. 

However, they did make some notable roster moves on Tuesday. 

The team has officially released veteran wide receiver David Moore, ending his stint with the Panthers. The 31-year-old Moore has been with Carolina since 2024, appearing in 27 games over that span and making seven starts. He had 34 receptions for 383 yards and three touchdowns. 

But with the emergence of some young talent on the roster like Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, Moore fell down the pecking order. 

He began the season on the practice squad but was promoted ahead of Week 4. Still, he struggled to get on the field in terms of the Panthers' offense and had to resort to a special teams role. He did muff a punt in Week 7 against Tampa Bay.

With his struggles, the Panthers believed now is the best time to move on from him and potentially give him a shot elsewhere to try and resurrect his career. But at 31 years of age, there might be limited opportunities for him to do just that. 

This move now opens up a spot on the 53-man roster for the Panthers. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that Xavier Legette will return to the practice field and should be activated this week for a return. 

Lagette has struggled this season not only with production but with injuries as well. 

In addition to those two moves, the Panthers also put wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette on the “practice squad; injured” list. They also signed linebacker Claudin Cherelus to the practice squad. 

The Panthers now head on the road for an NFC South matchup with the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. As it stands right now, every team in the division has three wins, and only the Atlanta Falcons really did anything at the trade deadline in terms of moves, as they traded away safety Jessie Bates.  That move doesn't indicate a full sale in terms of the Falcons' chances, but it was an interesting move, to say the least. 

Carolina and New Orleans will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon in the Big Easy.