Pro Football Rumors
Dane Jackson joined the Panthers in free agency last offseason, but his time in Carolina has come to an end. The veteran corner was released on Friday, per a team announcement.
Having spent his first four seasons with the Bills, Jackson represented a familiar face for Panthers general manager Dan Morgan. A two-year, $8.5MM deal was worked out early in free agency, and as a result expectations were in place for a first-team role opposite Jaycee Horn in 2024. Jackson’s debut with his new team was delayed due to a hamstring injury, however.
After being activated in October, the 28-year-old wound up making nine appearances. Only three of those were starts, and his 43% defensive snap share marked the smallest workload of his career. The Panthers released veteran slot corner Troy Hill midway through the campaign in a bid to open up more playing time for their younger options. The same line of thinking resulted in Jackson’s time being reduced when healthy. The former seventh-rounder allowed a completion percentage of 75.9% and a 123.6 passer rating in coverage this season; both figures were the worst of Jackson’s career.
This move will generate a dead money charge of $2.5MM but it will yield $3.35MM in savings for Carolina. The team was already mid-pack in the NFL in terms of spending power as free agency approaches, but additional funds will help Carolina’s efforts in improving a defense which ranked 23rd against the pass in 2024. Jackson, meanwhile, is now free to find a new team prior to the start of free agency (although his market will no doubt be a tepid one).
The Panthers hope to work out an extension with Horn this offseason, and keeping fellow starter Michael Jackson in the fold on a new pact is also a priority. Cornerback could be a position to watch with respect to at least one notable addition over the coming months, but in any case Dane Jackson will not be part of Carolina’s plans.
