The Carolina Panthers are switching it up at kicker. On Tuesday, the club announced it has waived Ryan Santoso after just one regular-season game. In that win over the New York Jets on Sunday, Santoso hit both of his field-goal attempts (long of 29 yards) and converted one of his two extra-pointers. In a corresponding move, the Panthers signed kicker Zane Gonzalez off the Lions practice squad.
Santoso was acquired by Carolina in a preseason trade with the Giants. The compensation heading back to New York was a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Because the condition was that Santoso would have to be on the regular-season roster for two weeks, the Panthers will recoup that draft choice due to waiving him prior to Week 2.
As for Gonzalez, the 26-year-old was with the team for a tryout over the summer. The former Browns seventh-round draft choice has hit 78% of his field-goal attempts for his career and 94.6% of his extra points. His best season in the NFL game back in 2019 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, where he netted 88.6% of his field-goal attempts and 97.1% of extra pointers.
Carolina also added cornerback Corn Elder to the practice squad.
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