The Carolina Panthers added some much-needed depth to the middle of the defense on Tuesday.
As announced by the team this morning, inside linebacker Chandler Wooten has been signed from the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad to Carolina’s active roster. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer was first with the news on Monday afternoon.
Wooten takes up the void left behind by yesterday’s departure of defensive lineman Jonathan Harris, who was waived following the Panthers’ 36-30 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16.
Head coach Dave Canales explained why they moved on from Harris.
“Yeah, bunch of different decisions,” Canales replied. “Jonathan was the guy that we released to make room for potentially bringing some other guys in and see if we can get some linebacker help.”
That help will come in the form of Wooten, who has appeared in 20 regular-season games for Carolina over the last three seasons. He’s recorded 16 combined tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery between 2022 and 2024.
Before the Wooten’s return, the Panthers carried just three inside linebackers on their active roster—Josey Jewell, Jacoby Windmon and Jon Rhattigan.
