Panthers veteran RB, underperforming DT named obvious cuts for Carolina

Miles Sanders and Shy Tuttle, come on down.

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (6) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Currently, the Carolina Panthers do not project to have a whole lot of cap space. Despite having a quarterback on a rookie deal and not a lot of stars on the roster, money is pretty tight. They will have to get creative via trades, restructures, or cuts to clear up more space to continue building this team back up.

There are several players who could be cut this offseason. There always are. These players are either underperforming, too expensive, or not needed anymore. For the Panthers, one NFL analyst says there are two glaringly obvious cuts this offseason.

Miles Sanders, Shy Tuttle are as good as cut from the Panthers

Miles Sanders hasn't worked out in Carolina since he signed the ill-fated four-year deal from Scott Fitterer. That makes him an easy cut with Chuba Hubbard taking the RB1 role easily. Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab said, "Sanders is an obvious cut after two disappointing seasons." Another candidate is Shy Tuttle.

"Tuttle hasn't done much either, and cutting him would clear about $3.3 million in cap space," Schwab said. The defensive tackle was one of the worst at his position last year and did nothing to help a porous defense, especially in the running game.

Those two are virtual locks to be cut, although the Jonathon Brooks situation makes things a little more complicated for Sanders. Schwab also noted Adam Thielen as a potential cut, but he acknowledged that that one is far less likely. "It seems unlikely that Thielen would get cut after having a strong finish to last season, but he will be 35 next season and perhaps the Panthers want to have a youth movement at receiver," he said.

Cutting Sanders and Tuttle alone would free up about $10 million in cap space, so the Panthers are all but assured of doing so. That could be a key difference-maker in free agency if they decide to go all-in on a star player.

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