The Biggest Winner and Loser From Carolina Panthers' Final Roster Cull

Final roster cuts always come with major developments both good and bad

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With the NFL season now just six days away, final rosters are set, and throughout the process, there were shocking cuts and surprise players on the 53-man rosters.

For the Carolina Panthers, the cut date was a whirlwind of late additions, including Bobby Okereke, and surprises like Haynes King and John Metchie III making the roster.

Now that the initial 53-man roster is set, the season is basically here; the Panthers are prepping for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and for another run at the NFC South. Not everyone who Panthers fans thought they'd see will be out on the field though.

With roster cuts, there are winners and losers. One NFL analyst gave his take on who won and lost in Carolina's roster cuts.

Jonathon Brooks Touted as Roster Cut Winner

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Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport dropped his winners and losers of NFL roster cuts. When bringing up the Carolina Panthers, two names came to mind. Brooks was named the winner simply because he's been healthy and has been active in practices, joint practices, and preseason games against the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Maybe the most heartwarming moment of the preseason was Brooks walking in a 1-yard touchdown, his first as a Panther and first since he was at Texas. Brook's has been the epitome of resiliency and deserves all the credit in the world.

However, as of late, there are growing concerns about Brooks. For the last two practices, Brooks has been inactive, working on the sidelines due to "soreness," according to head coach Dave Canales.

Anytime there's any injury news regarding Brooks, even if it's minor, theres cause for major concern. Brooks has been as healthy as ever this preseason, after recovering from his second ACL tear in his right knee.

Canales has said that he's "optimistic" about Brook's Week 1 availability, but his status still remains in question.

The Real Winner Is...

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Brook's was likely going to make the roster regardless because he's stayed healthy, so naming him the big winner just seems too easy. The real winner is Haynes King.

King signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent after a stellar college career at Georgia Tech. Coming into the NFL, King was always touted as a great athlete, but not a great thrower of the football.

King had a prime opportunity to prove himself, playing the majority of the NFL Hall of Fame game. It's safe to say he took advantage of it, throwing for 180 passing yards and 3 total touchdowns, with 2 of them in the air.

HAYNES KING WINS IT FOR THE PANTHERS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/HESbUZGhBN

— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026

That performance, capped off by a game-winning rushing touchdown, seemingly earned King a roster spot.

Trevin Wallace's Roster Spot Swept Out From Under Him

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The picture above now turns out to be Wallace's last game as a Carolina Panther. Wallace started Carolina's final preseason game against the Houston Texans because he was still actively competing for the starting LB spot next to Devin Lloyd.

Little did we know that Carolina would add a veteran linebacker, Bobby Okereke, just 24 hours before NFL cut day. The cut speaks more to Wallace's lack of development than to how good Okereke is.

Carolina clearly did not like what was happening in the LB competition between Wallace and Claudin Cherelus, so they opted not to even find out who'd end up starting between the two of them. Even worse for Wallace, he's with the New York Jets now.