Carolina Panthers cut 2022 third-round pick QB Matt Corral following three waiver claims
Matt Corral’s tenure in Carolina has ended — for now — before the start of his second regular season with the Panthers
The former Ole Miss quarterback was cut — along with linebacker Chandler Wooten and wide receiver Derek Wright — on Wednesday, the team announced. Corral will hit the waiver wire without ever throwing a regular-season pass for his first NFL franchise.
Corral, Wright and Wooten were waived to make way for new additions, offensive tackle Calvin Throckmorton, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, and linebacker Claudin Cherelus, who were claimed off waivers following final cuts.
The Panthers traded up in the 2022 NFL draft to select Corral with the 94th overall pick. Corral struggled during his first summer in Carolina before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the preseason.
Corral, 24, didn’t appear in a regular-season game as a rookie. The then-rookie spent most of his time in the trainer’s room, preparing for a comeback.
Corral was a draft pick during the Matt Rhule era. Rhule and the majority of his staff were fired during the 2022 regular season, as Corral watched from the sidelines.
With the arrival of current head coach Frank Reich, Corral was given a new boss to impress. Unfortunately for the second-year quarterback, Reich and his staff identified first overall pick Bryce Young as the future face of the team. The Panthers traded up to the top pick to select the former Heisman trophy-winner, who starred at Alabama during his college playing days.
After trading up for the top pick, the Panthers signed veteran Andy Dalton to be Young’s veteran mentor and backup. Corral was stuck competing for the third job on the depth chart. Despite making the initial 53-man roster, Corral’s time on the depth chart was short-lived.
Corral flashed at times during training camp and the preseason, but he failed to find consistency during the exhibition slate. He completed 28 of 47 passes for 249 yards and an interception in three preseason games this summer.
With Corral and Jake Luton no longer on the roster, Young and Dalton will serve as a two-man depth chart. The Panthers are likely to scan the waiver wire to sign a third quarterback to the practice squad. If Corral avoids being picked up elsewhere, he could be signed to the Panthers’ practice squad.
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 2:28 PM.
