Carolina Panthers waive former Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride Jr.

The Panthers have made a surprising move regarding former Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride Jr., as Carolina is waiving the pass defender with a failed physical designation. On Monday, the franchise announced the move, coinciding with the addition of two new players.

“The Panthers added a pair of tryout players from rookie minicamp, and parted ways with a former draft pick to make room. The team signed offensive tackle Wyatt Miller and tight end Jared Scott, after they impressed coaches over the weekend,” wrote Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “They waived cornerback Troy Pride Jr. with a failed physical designation.

“He was their fourth-round pick in 2020, but missed all of last season with a knee injury. He started eight games as a rookie, but the Panthers continued to add to the position around him.”

Prior to his unfortunate injury, it was thought the Panthers had a diamond in the rough in Pride. A former fourth round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame product fell to Carolina with the No. 113 overall selection. After a promising rookie season, Pride suffered a knee injury ahead of the 2021-22 season during the preseason, and it turns out he’s not getting another opportunity in Carolina.

Now, Troy Pride Jr. will hope to catch on in a new city, with a new NFL franchise. As a young cornerback brimming with potential, one team is sure to take a chance on him, as long as his health questions don’t scare them off.

More on Carolina Panthers, roster moves

As the Carolina Panthers get their first look at rookies on the field, head coach Matt Rhule likes what he has seen from former Virginia Tech star Amare Barno so far, and fully believes in where he can go. After impressive pre-draft workouts, one of the NFL’s newest edge rushers will look to become a household name.

During a press conference following rookie minicamp, Matt Rhule discussed what role he envisions Amare Barno filling in the Panthers defense as a rookie and beyond.

“I think when we took him, we thought of like that Sam linebacker/pass rusher role that Haason (Reddick) played last year, that Frankie (Luvu) played last year,” said Rhule. “Marquis Haynes can play, (Brian) Burns can play, so you talk a lot about positions and stuff like that but at the end of the day, really a lot of the game comes down to third down. It comes down to being able to rush the passer.

“I think when it comes to Amare, we saw flexibility, but we also saw the ability to rush the passer and develop into someone who can rush the passer.”

In addition to Amare Barno, Carolina put together a solid class, even with a minimum number of high selection. Among the other notable additions, former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral joined the team and took the Panthers out of the running for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.