The Carolina Panthers are releasing the two-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Short, the Panthers’ top defensive player, played in a combination of five games for the past two seasons, as his 2019 and 2020 campaigns were cut short by end-of-season shoulder surgeries.
He was on his way to the final year of a five-year $ 80 million deal he signed in 2017 after holding 23.5 sacks over a three-year period. Since then, he has only had three sacks, all in 2018, when he started 14 games.
“We’re all grown here so you know what it is,” Short said after the season. ‘It’s a’ what-can-you-do-for-me-now ‘type of company. ‘
Short would count $ 20.8 million by this year’s limit, but releasing him could save the Panthers $ 14.5 million.
Information from ESPN’s David Newton was used in this report.