Carolina Panthers waive safety Caden Sterns after failed physical

Caden Sterns will now have to look for a new NFL team as he was released by the Carolina Panthers. On Thursday, the team announced that the former Texas Longhorns safety has failed his physical and was put back on waivers. Carolina claimed Sterns off of waivers on Tuesday after the Denver Broncos released him on Monday.

Sterns was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He had a promising rookie season, recording 28 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and five passes defended in 15 games with two starts. In 2023, Sterns played in all but one game as he sufferd a torn patellar tendon.

During his time as Texas, Sterns was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team and was named Big 12 Defense Freshman of the Year in 2018. In that season, the 24-year-old tallied 62 tackles, four interceptions and one sack.

“He kept showing up and making plays,” former Texas safeties coach Craig Naivar said in a phone interview with The Denver Post in 2021. “When he saw something and read something, he would react immediately. He played fast because of his instincts and eye discipline. We felt he was a guy that was mature for his age and the moment wasn’t too big for him.”

Caden Sterns has ties with the Panthers

Sterns had ties to the Panthers as he played for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero who held the same position at Denver in 2022. In that year, Sterns played in five games and notched 21 tackles, four passes defended and one interception before injuries sidelines him for the rest of the year.

The move occurred right before the Panthers take on the New England Patriots their first game of the preseason. Panthers head coach Dave Canales recently told reporters that quarterback Bryce Young won’t see any action in the preseason opener on Thursday.

“You can’t play scared, but you’ve got to be smart, and so yeah, it’s a factor for sure,” Canales said of the risk of injury, per the Panthers’ official website. “We’re thinking about that. With the guys we’re counting on, we’re definitely taking that into consideration here.

“In our live move-the-ball periods, we’re going ones-vs.-ones all camp, you know. Those are so valuable, especially at the end of practice when we’re tired, we get into the move-the-ball setting. We’ll have the Jets in here (for joint practice next week), and that’s going to be a fantastic day. I can’t wait. That’s great work for those guys, so we’ve got to take advantage of those windows.”