Panthers release veteran cornerback after forgettable first season in Carolina
The Carolina Panthers have opened up some salary cap space by releasing a veteran cornerback from their roster.
The Panthers on Friday announced the release of cornerback Dane Jackson. The former Buffalo Bills draft pick was signed by general manager Dan Morgan during free agency last offseason.
Jackson signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal last March. His release will open up $3.35 million in salary cap space this offseason. He leaves behind $1.5 million in dead money on the cap.
Prior to the roster move, the Panthers were projected to have roughly $25.3 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. So, the Panthers should be around $28.6 million in space once the release is finalized by the league.
Jackson came to Charlotte with the idea of serving as the No. 2 cornerback across from Jaycee Horn. However, a nagging hamstring injury during training camp caused Jackson to miss the first six games of the 2024 season. Due to Jackson’s injury, the Panthers traded for cornerback Mike Jackson during the preseason, and the late addition to the roster ended up starting all 17 games for Carolina.
Dane Jackson returned to the lineup in Week 7. He was mostly used as a nickel corner before being benched for a particularly poor performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11. Jackson finished the season with 23 tackles and two pass breakups in nine games (three starts).
Jackson’s departure could help the team retain Mike Jackson, who is set to test free agency in March. The team is also expected to engage in contract extension talks with Horn, so every dollar counts in the secondary.
With Dane Jackson heading out of town, the Panthers’ secondary could look radically different in 2025. While Chau Smith-Wade is likely to return to the nickel position that he inherited from Jackson, the team’s four veterans at safety — Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Sam Franklin and Nick Scott — are all pending free agents.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Jackson’s release created $2.5 million in dead money. The actual figure is $1.5 million in dead money. The story has been updated.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
