CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are moving on from cornerback Donte Jackson.
The 55th pick of the 2018 draft will be traded or released, a league source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Jackson is set to count $15.7 million against the 2024 cap. He is due a $4 million roster bonus on March 16.
Releasing the former LSU star will save Carolina $5.9 million on the salary cap, $10.5 million if there is a post-June 1 designation. Carolina currently has $37.7 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Roster Management.
Jackson’s career has been plagued by injuries. The worst came in 2022 when he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the ninth game, a Thursday night contest against Atlanta.
Jackson has 14 career interceptions, including four his rookie season. He had none in 16 starts this past season.
Moving on from Jackson leaves the Panthers looking for a starting corner to play opposite Jayce Horn, the eighth pick of the 2021 draft.
The extra cap space will help Carolina rebuild a team that had an NFL-worst 2-15 record in 2023. Among the priorities is keeping outside linebacker Brian Burns and inside linebacker Frankie Luvu, and signing defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a long-term deal.
General manager Dan Morgan said last week at the NFL combine that all options were on the table with Burns, including the franchise tag that would guarantee the 16th pick of the 2019 draft $24 million in 2024.
The deadline for tagging Burns is Tuesday at 4 p.m.
