As the Panthers trimmed their roster to the mandatory 53 players ahead of the regular season, one of the most unexpected cuts was wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. This move stunned fans and marked a significant shift in the team’s direction.

The Panthers also announced that second-round running back Jonathon Brooks, who suffered an ACL tear late last season while at Texas, will begin the season on the non-football injury list.

Marshall, a 2021 second-round pick from LSU, was seen as a promising talent with a knack for playmaking, but he never fully realized his potential in Charlotte. Over three seasons, Marshall recorded 64 receptions for 767 yards and a single touchdown.

These statistics stand in stark contrast to his impressive college career at LSU, where he amassed 1,594 yards and 23 touchdowns in just two and a half seasons.

A contributing factor to Marshall’s release was the Panthers’ inability to find a trade partner. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Dan Morgan made unsuccessful attempts to trade Marshall, despite the receiver’s strong showing during joint practices with the New York Jets and his touchdown in the final preseason game against Buffalo.

Ultimately, the Panthers chose to move on from the talented receiver, allowing him the opportunity to seek success elsewhere.

In addition to Marshall, several other players were waived as the Panthers finalized their roster, including DT Ulumoo Ale, G Jack Anderson, LB Aaron Beasley, CB Dicaprio Bootle, G Mason Brooks, S Alex Cook, OT Jeremiah Crawford, CB Willie Drew, OLB Kenny Dyson, TE Feleipe Franks, OT Ricky Lee, OLB Derrick McLendon, CB Quandre Mosely, DT Walter Palmore, WR Sam Pinckney, QB Jack Plummer, RB Jaden Shirden, DT TJ Smith, WR Mike Strachan, OLB Luiji Vilain, CB Chris Wilcox, and LB Chandler Wooten..