We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!
In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 73 for the Carolina Panthers.
Current Player: Brandon Walton
Walton (6’5”, 300 lbs) was originally signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic University following the 2020 NFL Draft. He was cut before the season started and signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad for all of 2020. After signing Walton to a futures contract, the Steelers waived him in August 2021, leading him to sign with the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The following season, he was signed to the active roster by the Bucs and spent the whole season with the team, playing 11 games including a couple starts at tackle.
Last season, Walton followed Dave Canales to Carolina and spent the season on the practice squad, getting elevated to the practice squad a couple of times and appearing in one game for the Panthers. With the team returning their entire offensive line and main backups, Walton is likely destined for another stint on the practice squad or being waived outright.
Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 73: Michael Jordan, Greg Van Roten, Michael Oher, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Jeremy Bridges
The player to don 73 before Walton was Michael Jordan, a 6’6” guard from North Carolina Ohio State. Fan favorite Greg Van Roten held down roster spot for a little while with the team in the late 2010s. Perhaps the most famous player outside our own fandom to wear 73 for the Panthers was Mr. Blindside himself, Michael Oher, who wore it for two seasons, including the 2015 Super Bowl run. Bernadeau was the Panthers 7th round pick in the 2008 Draft and was an occasional starter for three seasons before moving on to the Dallas Cowboys. Bridges, who was originally a sixth round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2003, was a solid contributor and starter at tackle and guard for a couple years in the mid 2000s. He also returned in 2012 after a stint with the Arizona Cardinals.