Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short is 32 years old, injuries have limited him to five games over the last two years, and he was slated to have a salary cap hit of more than $20 million this season. So no one was expecting him back in Carolina in 2021.
Now it’s official that the Panthers are cutting Short, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
That gives Short a head start in free agency, although what kind of offers he has remains to be seen. Short was a Pro Bowler in 2018, but in 2019 he was limited to just two games, and in 2020 he played in three games. He has had shoulder surgery two years in a row.
The Panthers made a series of moves last year that emphasized getting younger on defense, and now their longest-tenured defensive player is on the way out.