Demani Richardson: Everything you need to know

The Panthers waived Richardson on Tuesday. Carolina made a series of roster moves Tuesday ahead of Saturday afternoon's wild-card matchup with the Rams. Richardson appeared in 13 games for the Panthers during the regular season, making one start, and logged seven tackles (three solo) and one fumble recovery.

Richardson accumulated 51 total tackles and two passes defended, including one interception, over 14 games in 2024. Richardson was inactive for the Panthers' first three games but appeared in every other contest this season, playing an integral role on either special teams or defense. He showed flashes of brilliance over his five starts in 2024, recording double-digit tackles in three of those outings. The undrafted rookie from Texas A&M tallied 48 of his total stops, along with both of his passes defended, during those five starts. With Jordan Fuller and Xavier Woods set to hit unrestricted free agency and Carolina focused on continuing its rebuild, Richardson will likely compete for a starting role on the Panthers' defense this offseason.

Richardson tallied nine tackles (six solo) during Carolina's 48-14 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Richardson made his third start of the season Sunday due to Jordan Fuller (coach's decision) being sidelined. Richardson played all 74 defensive snaps and finished as the Panthers' fourth-leading tackler behind Chandler Wooten (14), Xavier Woods (12) and Jacoby Windmon (10). It appears Carolina wants to see what it has in Richardson, and the undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M could start over Fuller in the regular-season finale against Atlanta next Sunday.