We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!
There are 36 days left until the start of the Carolina Panthers 2025 schedule, so today’s countdown piece is about number 36 in your program, Demani Richardson.
Richardson joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M a couple weeks after the 2024 NFL Draft. He got a lot of burn in the preseason and notched an interception in a win over the Jets. He didn’t make the final roster, but he impressed enough that he earned a spot on the practice squad. His time there was short lived though, and he was elevated to the active roster in late September.
The 24 year old ended up appearing in all 14 games after his debut in Week 4 against the Bengals. He became a regular player down the stretch and started at safety for each of the last three games of the season. He notably improved as he got more experience and ended the season looking like a solid player to have going forward, so much so that he seems like a pretty safe bet to make the final roster this time around.
Tre’von Moehrig is a lock to start at one safety position. The other probably belongs to veteran Nick Scott to start camp, but Richardson has every chance to take that spot as his own. Either way, he should see the field a lot this season.
As funny as this may sound, a strong season by Richardson could elevate him to the best #36 in the history of the Panthers based on Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value statistic. No one of real historical significance as worn the number in Carolina. Perhaps Richardson can change that.