4 Winners (And 3 Losers) From Panthers' Preseason Finale

The Carolina Panthers have wrapped up the 2026 preseason slate. The team finished 3-1 after defeating the Houston Texans on Friday night, and now they prepare for Week 1.

Of course, the hardest part of every preseason is having to make some big cuts. The Panthers have to cut around 40 players by Sunday night, and Friday’s performances will definitely impact some of those decisions.

Today, let’s talk about the biggest winners and losers from the win over the Texans.

Winner: TE Feleipe Franks

Feleipe Franks has been one of the biggest risers on the team this summer. Originally seen as just a depth special teamer at best, Franks is proving that he can be more than that. The veteran has made some nice catches over the summer and in the preseason, while continuing to impress as a blocker.

In the finale, Franks caught three passes for 25 yards. Perhaps more importantly, Ja’Tavion Sanders, who Franks is battling for a spot, didn’t record a stat.

Loser: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders

Speaking of Sanders, he has to be considered a major loser here. The tight end was once seen as potentially the future of the room, but now he’s barely hanging on to a roster spot.

Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans got to miss Friday’s finale, which means they’re safe. Sanders and Franks had to play, and Franks outplayed Sanders. It will be surprising if Sanders is on the roster come Week 1.

Winner: WR David Moore

David Moore was thought to be a shoo-in for a receiver spot for most of the offseason. The veteran is a favorite of head coach Dave Canales, and that was thought to be enough to give him a spot.

The thing is, these other depth receivers have really stepped up this summer. Heading into this game, Moore was thought to be firmly on the bubble, but he really helped himself here. Moore caught three passes for 34 yards and racked up a tackle on special teams.

Loser: WR John Metchie III

John Metchie III had a perfect opportunity to solidify his roster spot on Friday. None of the depth receivers got the night off, so it seems like who performed the best in the finale would get the spots.

Metchie only caught one of his three targets for five yards. The receiver also failed to impress on special teams, while Ja’seem Reed and David Moore had solid games.

Winner: LB Trevin Wallace

Trevin Wallace has been stuck in a battle for a starting spot all summer. The linebacker is trying to beat out Claudin Cherelus for the job, and he may have done so on Friday night.

Wallace collected two tackles and one sack, and had some nice moments in coverage. Meanwhile, Cherelus collected only one tackle on the night. This was the most we’ve seen out of Wallace all summer, and he picked a perfect time to do it.

Loser: CB Corey Thornton

Corey Thornton was locked in a battle with Chau Smith-Wade for the nickel job all summer. After last weekend’s preseason game, though, it seemed obvious that Smith-Wade had won the job.

Smith-Wade got Friday night off, so Thornton had a great chance to impress with a ton of reps. Instead, the corner only collected one tackle and failed to defend any passes.

Winner: OLB Trevis Gipson

Trevis Gipson has been trying to secure a depth outside linebacker spot this summer. The veteran seemed to be in good shape, but the emergence of Cam Gill has made his status a little questionable.

Well, Gipson helped himself out on Friday. The edge rusher collected one tackle for loss, one sack, and two quarterback hits. This is the type of performance the veteran needed to secure his spot.