3 Panthers on the Chopping Block Next After Bradley Bozeman Release

3. Donte Jackson

2024 Cap Hit: $15,717,667
2024 Dead Money: $9,780,667
2024 Cap Savings: $5,937,000

If the Panthers cut Donte Jackson before March 16, that opens up nearly $6 million in cap space. After re-signing Troy Hill in the secondary, this move is probably coming next.

Jackson's not a bad corner, but he's merely been a fine one lately. And there's nothing about this situation that makes it reasonable to keep a "fine" cornerback on the roster with this contract.

Jackson is entering the last year of his deal, and there are only 10 cornerbacks in the entire NFL who make an average of more than $15.7 million per season.

Jackson allowed a career-worst 107.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage last season, and that comes after giving up a career-worst 75.5% completion percentage when targeted in 2022. The last time that he looked like he was maybe worth this contract was in 2020, and this offseason is the first time it's been financially beneficial to terminate the deal.

Jackson is probably one of the entire NFL's most obvious cap casualty cut candidates at this point. It's not so much that he's a terrible corner, but that it just makes zero sense to keep him around with the state of his contract.

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