CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers released Deion Jones on Tuesday, less than a month after signing the Pro Bowl linebacker to a one-year deal, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Carolina also acquired preseason standout wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade that will require an exchange of conditional seventh-round picks in 2025.
The release of the 28-year-old Jones comes as somewhat of a surprise because of the way the former second-round draft pick played during the preseason. But it speaks to the confidence the Panthers have in their depth behind starting inside linebacker Shaq Thompson and Frankie Luvu.