With Eddy Piñeiro set for free agency, Panthers bring in kicker on future/reserve contract
The Carolina Panthers are hedging their bets at kicker ahead of a notable free agency period for their trio of incumbent specialists.
The team signed veteran journeyman kicker Matthew Wright to a future/reserve deal on Tuesday. Wright previously spent time with the Panthers during the 2023 season, as incumbent kicker Eddy Piñeiro dealt with a pair of injuries.
Piñeiro is set to become a free agent on March 12, so the Panthers bringing in Wright provides insurance in case Piñeiro leaves on the open market. Along with Piñeiro, long snapper JJ Jansen and punter Johnny Hekker are also pending free agents. With all three specialists set to test the free agency waters, the specialist collective in Carolina could look very different in 2025.
Wright, 28, is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native. He played college ball at UCF before going undrafted in 2019.
Wright has bounced around quite a bit since entering the league as an undrafted rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wright has signed contracts with nine different NFL teams. He has had multiple stints with the Panthers, Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. He’s also played for the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.
During his nomadic career, Wright has made 55 of his 63 field-goal attempts. He’s also made 41 of his 43 extra-point attempts.
Last season, during stints with the Titans, Chiefs and 49ers, Wright made 15 of his 16 field-goal attempts. He made all six of his extra-point attempts.
