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Carolina Panthers waive injured player, add two to practice squad

DSprofileby:Dustin Schutte•09/02/23•

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carolina panthers helmet
Chuck Cook | USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers continue to make roster adjustments as the NFL regular season approaches. On Friday, the team waived injured wide receiver Marquez Stevenson and signed two different players to the practice squad.

Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Panthers added linebacker Chandler Wooten and wide receiver Derek Wright to the practice team just a week before the start of the season. Carolina opens the year against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Stevenson was a sixth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Houston. He spent nearly two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and has accounted for 297 return yards.

Wooten went undrafted in 2022 out of Auburn. He was signed by the Panthers midway through the 2022 campaign and appeared in nine total contests for the team. The linebacker accounted for one tackle and a forced fumble.

Wright was also an undrafted free agent following the NFL Draft. He spent last season in Carolina as a member of the practice squad, as well. Wright played college football at Utah State.

Earlier this week, NFL teams trimmed their rosters down to 53 players, the league’s limit for the regular season.

What can Carolina Panthers fans expect from Bryce Young?

Carolina head coach Frank Reich wasted very little time handing the keys over to Bryce Young. The No. 1 draft selection will officially be the starter for the Panthers to start the season.

What should fans expect to see from the rookie quarterback in his first season under center? Who better to ask than Young’s former head coach at Alabama, Nick Saban?

“I’m not an expectations guy, that’s kind of up to you all,” Saban said on the SEC coaches’ teleconference on Wednesday.

“Bryce is a really bright guy and he’s a great preparer for games. He’s got a lot of pride in performance so I’m sure he’ll do everything that he can with his coaches to try to get ready to execute and do things the way he needs to do ’em to have success and for his team to have success. That’s what he always did here. And I’m sure it’ll be no different there.”

Saban did acknowledge that Young will have some adjustments to make. Even though he proved himself at Alabama, the NFL game is much different.

“A little faster game so that’s something that he’ll have to enter, too,” Saban said. “But experience is nothing more than accumulation of mistakes that you make and mostly that you learn and he always did a good job of being able to move forward from all those things. So I’m sure he’ll continue to do that as he develops a career in the NFL.”