CHARLOTTE, NC — The Carolina Panthers face a brutal math problem. They have less than $10 million in functional space remaining on the Carolina Panthers salary cap. General Manager Dan Morgan sits inside Bank of America Stadium, staring at a ledger that demands cuts. He needs cash to maneuver this 2026 offseason, and releasing veterans offers the fastest relief.
A single transaction could double their spending power instantly. Releasing defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson frees up a massive $10.5 million against the cap. It leaves behind just $2.1 million in dead money. Financially, it looks like a slam dunk.
But football isn’t played on a spreadsheet.
The Production Dilemma Up Front
Robinson struggled early in his 2024 Carolina debut. Star defensive tackle Derrick Brown tore up his knee, thrusting Robinson up the depth chart and directly into the crosshairs of double teams. The big man adapted. He dragged down quarterbacks for 5.5 sacks that first season and eventually evolved into an absolute wall against the run. By the end of 2025, Robinson ranked among the top 10 defensive linemen league-wide in run stops.
You could feel his impact from the press box. The stadium shook when Robinson plugged the A-gap and stuffed running backs behind the line of scrimmage. He anchored a defensive front that dragged Carolina to an NFC South crown. Replacing that raw, physical production costs money Morgan simply does not have.
The Tershawn Wharton Complication
Carolina boxed itself into a corner last March. They handed defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton a hefty three-year, $54 million contract. Early reports pegged the deal at $45 million, but the official numbers locked Carolina into an even tighter spot. Wharton flashed brilliance, logging a career-high 36 tackles in 2025, but a lingering hamstring injury sapped his consistency down the stretch.
The Panthers are stuck with his cap hit. Chopping Robinson alleviates the financial pressure created by Wharton’s massive deal, but it creates a gaping hole on the defensive interior. Wharton expects to dominate in 2026, but banking on a bounce-back year while cutting your most reliable run-stuffer is a dangerous gamble.
“A’Shawn is the heartbeat of this defensive line. When he hits a gap, the whole offensive line shifts. You can’t just replace that kind of violence.”
— Derrick Brown, Panthers Defensive Tackle
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
Morgan could ask Robinson to take a pay cut. If pride gets in the way, the veteran hits the open market and instantly becomes the most coveted run-stuffer available to rival contenders. If the Panthers swing the axe, they must draft a replacement immediately. Mock drafts heavily link Carolina to powerhouses like Peter Woods or Caleb Banks.
Rookies, however, need time to adjust to the vicious speed of the NFL trenches. Losing Robinson strips the defense of its nasty edge right when they need it most to defend their division title. Unless Morgan strikes gold in April, that $10.5 million in savings might cost Carolina a return trip to the postseason.
