Panthers Cut Graham Gano After 8 Seasons

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The Carolina Panthers have cut kicker Graham Gano after eight years with the team.

The 2017 Pro Bowl kicker is second in Panthers history in points scored and holds the record for most points scored in a season with 146 in 2015.

Gano had two years remaining on a four-year, $17 million contract extension he signed with the team in 2018.

Carolina will save $2.8 million against the cap in 2020 but will add $1.5 million to its dead cap, which is already approaching $43 million in dead money. 

Almost 8 years ago I drove from Ashburn, Virginia down to Charlotte, North Carolina with our one-year-old son to meet Graham on his new journey to become a Carolina Panther. Little did we know the journey that God was about to put us on. Looking back on our years with the Panthers only puts a smile on my face. We have had so many amazing memories from going to the Super Bowl, a Pro bowl, amazing friendships, game-winning field goals and so many more. On top of all that we have had four more beautiful children whom have all grown up Panthers fans. This is not the easiest thing to post but we know that all good things eventually have to come to an end, and when God closes one door, He opens another. Graham, I love you so much and I am so incredibly proud of you and the success you have had with this amazing organization. This is just the beginning to a new amazing adventure. To all the fans, friends, and our family, I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your love, prayers and support. God Bless. -- we love you #9 #ganologano
A post shared by @ britgano9 on Jul 30, 2020 at 7:52am PDT

Gano missed all off 2019 with a leg injury, leaving the starting kicker duties to rookie Joey Slye, who hit 8-of-11 field goals from 50 yards or longer and was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 4. 

Head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Wednesday that Gano is healthy and passed his physical but with Gano's release, the team will likely move forward with Slye, who signed a one-year contract extension this offseason. 

Gano's most memorable moment in Carolina came in Week 4 of the 2018 season when he hit a 63-yard game-winning field goal to beat the New York Giants, setting the franchise record for the longest FG and tied the NFL record for the longest game-winning FG in league history. 

In 2017, Gano had a career-high 96.7 percent conversion rate and he's been one of the league's most accurate kickers since joining the Panthers in 2012.