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Panthers' cornerback depth takes a hit with backup ruled out for 2025 season

The Carolina Panthers are down a cornerback already at the start of the season.
Jeremy Brener|
Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis tackles New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook.
Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis tackles New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are starting their season this weekend, but one player's year is already over before it begins.

According to The Athletic insider Joseph Person, cornerback Damarri Mathis is undergoing season-ending surgery for his torn ACL.

"CB Damarri Mathis, claimed from the Broncos last week, tore his ACL on a non-contact play during Wednesday's practice and will undergo season-ending surgery," Person tweeted.

Mathis, 26, is a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh and spent his first three seasons with the Denver Broncos. However, Mathis was part of the team's cuts at the end of August and was claimed by the Panthers in hopes of improving their depth at cornerback.

Unfortunately for Mathis and the Panthers, things are not going to work out for the season. Mathis is a free agent this spring, so the timing could not have been worse for the injury.

It remains to be seen if Mathis will stick around with the Panthers for 2026, but a torn ACL should keep him out until next summer at the earliest.

With Mathis out for the year, the Panthers will rely on Akayleb Evans, Jaycee Horn, Michael Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton and Kalen King from the practice squad in the cornerback room.

There's also a possibility the Panthers will add a cornerback in free agency, but there isn't much time before the team visits the Jacksonville Jaguars for their Week 1 matchup, so it may come a bit further down the line.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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