Carolina Panthers cornerback Rashaan Melvin was not present on Tuesday as players reported to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. And now, we know why.
As announced by the team prior to their first training camp practice this morning, the 32-year-old veteran has retired. Melvin played in 10 games, including a pair of starts, for the Panthers in 2021.
The Waukegan, Ill. native broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. He’d go on to rack up a number of different stops during his eight-year professional career—a journey that later crossed with the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Melvin totaled 260 combined tackles, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and 41 passes defensed over 74 games. His best campaign came in 2017 with the Colts—where he notched highs in picks (three) and passes defensed (13).
With Melvin’s departure, Carolina is now down to 89 men on their current roster.