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Panthers Linked to Eagles CB Stuck on Special Teams to Fill an Immediate Need in Coverage
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- Panthers Linked to Eagles CB Stuck on Special Teams to Fill an Immediate Need in Coverage
The Carolina Panthers reached their bye in first place in the NFC South and with both starting corners on injured reserve. The second part is going to be tested. Jared Goff threw for 412 yards against them last Sunday, and Carolina won anyway.
A new list of trade candidates from CBS Sports connects Carolina to Kelee Ringo , the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback in the final year of his rookie deal. Panthers fans know the name from somewhere else. Ringo's 79-yard interception return against Bryce Young sealed Georgia's national championship over Alabama in January 2022.
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Why Carolina needs a cornerback now
Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) were hurt in the same game at Cleveland, and head coach Dave Canales expects both to miss about eight weeks. "There's no replacing Jaycee Horn," Canales said after the injury . "We're not asking our guys to replace Jaycee."
The fill-ins have taken their lumps. Akayleb Evans has allowed 13 catches on 17 targets with a 43.0 coverage grade, according to PFF, and rookie Will Lee III made his first NFL start against Detroit, when Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa each caught a pass of at least 49 yards. The team signed veteran Marco Wilson to the practice squad during the bye, and The Athletic's Joe Person has reported that general manager Dan Morgan will explore outside options.
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Ringo is a projection. He is 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds with eight starts in 55 career games, and every one of his snaps this season has come on special teams. He is also one of the few corners Carolina can afford. The Panthers have less than $1.5 million in cap space, and about $570,000 of Ringo's $1.145 million base salary would be left at the Nov. 10 deadline.
The scouting trip is already on the schedule. Carolina's next game is Oct. 18 at Philadelphia, where Ringo will be covering kicks and Jalen Hurts will be testing whichever corners the Panthers bring north. By the time the team is back at Bank of America Stadium the following week, the deadline will be 16 days away. For a team favored in the NFC South , that is not much time to find a starter.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Oct 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
