The Carolina Panthers are reportedly set to add more depth to their secondary. As Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network reported on Thursday, the team is signing cornerback Tae Hayes.
Former #Jaguars, #Dolphins and #Vikings cornerback Tae Hayes is signing with the #Panthers, pending a physical, per league source. Hayes played for the USFL champs, the Birmingham Stallions, this spring. He was briefly on Carolina p-squad last year. @PFN365
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 4, 2022
Hayes, 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, played four seasons of college football at Appalachian State University. There, he started 33 games and appeared in 19 more—totaling 138 tackles, 24 passes defensed and nine interceptions. He received All-Sun Belt recognition in his junior and senior years.
Following the 2019 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Hayes as an undrafted free agent, then released him shortly after. He also had brief stints with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, where he totaled 10 combined tackles and two passes defensed over five games.
Last spring, Hayes joined the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions, who went on to win the inaugural league championship.
As he makes his NFL comeback, he will look to take advantage of a Panthers cornerback room dealing with several minor injuries. Jaycee Horn (foot soreness) was recently activated off the PUP list, Keith Taylor Jr. (strained hamstring) will miss up to two weeks and the recently-signed Duke Dawson was spotted in a red jersey on Wednesday. Veteran corner Rashaan Melvin also announced his retirement last week.
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