Jan. 28, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Carolina Panthers<\/a> could add a nice chunk of salary cap space this offseason by subtracting one of their starters.<\/p>\n Joe Person of The Athletic emptied out his latest mailbag<\/a> earlier this week. When asked about the team’s pass rush, the longtime Panthers beat reporter opined that the defensive line may not be a spot that the front office will look to further invest in.<\/p>\n In fact, he believes Carolina could even part ways with a key contributor to give themselves more flexibility in the spring.<\/p>\n Person writes:<\/p>\n . . . the D-line seems like a place where the Panthers can trim a little fat to create cap space, with A\u2019Shawn Robinson a potential cut as he enters the final year of his contract with a $12.6 million cap number.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Robinson started in 34 games between his first two seasons with the Panthers. He tied for the team lead in sacks (5.5) in 2024 and tied a career high with eight quarterback hits in 2025.<\/p>\n The former second-round pick will be entering the final season of his three-year, $22.5 million contract<\/a>, where he’s set to account for a $12.6 million cap number. His release, according to Spotrac, would save the Panthers $10.5 million in space with a dead cap hit of just over $2 million.<\/p>\n Outside of Robinson, Carolina’s depth chart along the defensive trench includes Derrick Brown, Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III and Cam Jackson.<\/p>\n