The Carolina Panthers are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Matthew Wright. Wright is inking a reserve/future contract with the team and will have a chance to compete for their starting kicker job in the offseason.
For now, the Panthers have Eddy Piniero as their kicker. He was solid this season, going 17 of 18 with a long of 53 yards while nailing 18 of 18 extra-point attempts. Wright will have to climb uphill to usurp Piniero.
This will be Wright’s second stint with the Panthers. He has played for multiple NFL teams before, including the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and the Steelers.
Over his career, Wright is 56 of 63 with a career-long of 59 yards. Across three different teams this season, Wright went 15 of 16 with a season-long of 50 yards. His longest stint in the NFL came with the Jaguars in 2021, where he went 21 of 24 on field goals and 13 of 15 on extra points.