The Carolina Panthers have made a significant roster move before facing the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers can clinch the NFC South division title on Sunday, but prior to their pivotal matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, they revealed some bad news.
The Panthers placed linebacker Trevin Wallace on injured reserve Saturday after he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery, the team announced. To replace Wallace, they signed fellow linebacker Isaiah Simmons to the active roster from the practice squad.
Wallace played in 12 games this season, registering 61 tackles, a couple of sacks and four passes defended while posting a 54.2 overall grade at Pro Football Focus.
The University of Kentucky product was originally selected by Carolina in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and recorded 64 tackles, a sack and a pair of forced fumbles during his rookie campaign, appearing in 13 contests with eight starts.
Meanwhile, Simmons joined the Panthers' practice squad last month and has actually participated in three games for the team this season, logging one tackle on special teams.
A former No. 8 overall pick, Simmons has certainly been a major disappointment thus far in his NFL career, which began with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.
Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace. Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.Simmons had a couple of decent seasons with the Cardinals, most notably in 2021 and 2022 when he posted 105 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four forced fumbles and then tallied 99 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions, including a pick-six.
Arizona traded Simmons to the New York Giants in 2023, but the 27-year-old only served in a part-time role with the Giants for two seasons.
Simmons will merely represent a depth piece for the Panthers, who will be starting Claudin Cherelus in place of Wallace.
Carolina is 8-7 on the season and just recorded a huge win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend to take a one-game lead in the NFC South.
If the Panthers beat the Seahawks and the Buccaneers lose or tie against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Carolina will clinch the division crown.
Any other combination of events will result in the Panthers facing the Bucs in a winner-take-all game at Tampa Bay in the regular-season finale.
Carolina has not made the playoffs since 2017 and has not won a division title in a decade.