The Panthers preseason is over and very shortly, so will their kicker battle.
While incumbent Graham Gano has long been expected to remain with the team as their primary kicker, rookie Joey Slye has done all he can to at least make this decision a very difficult one for head coach Ron Rivera, as he noted after his team’s win over the Steelers.
Slye went one-for-two against the Steelers but the make came from 59 yards out, his longest of the preseason. The one he missed was blocked and not Slye’s fault. He finished seven-for-eight during the preseason with three field goals over 50 yards.
Meanwhile, Gano did not kick at all this month in a game.
While Slye looks like a slam dunk to start, it doesn’t make sense cutting Gano just one year into his four-year contract. His cap number for 2019 is almost $3.7 million but cutting Gano would leave over $5.6 million in dead money. The Panthers aren’t going to just eat that cost for no reason.
It’s probable Carolina will place Gano on injured reserve to start the season and roll with Slye.
