The Panthers officially announced kicker Graham Gano’s release on Thursday afternoon and also shared news of another deletion from their roster.
Defensive end Chris Smith has been released as well. Smith signed with the team in March.
Smith entered the NFL as a Jaguars fifth-round pick in 2014 and spent three seasons with the team. He spent one year with the Bengals after a trade and was a member of the Browns until he was placed on waivers last December.
Smith has 67 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles over the course of his career.
The Panthers currently have 83 players on their roster. If they remain over 80 players when on-field work begins, they’ll need to conduct it in split squads.