/Panthers Release Kurt Coleman and Charles Johnson

Panthers Release Kurt Coleman and Charles Johnson

The Carolina Panthers have terminated vested veterans safety Kurt Coleman and defensive end Charles Johnson, the team announced on Monday.

Coleman played the last three seasons with Carolina after starting his career with Philadelphia and Kansas City. Over those three seasons, Coleman recorded 11 interceptions, tying for fourth in the NFL over that span.

Coleman’s seven interceptions in 2015 rank second-most for a single season in franchise history, as he helped the Panthers reach the Super Bowl with a league-best +20 turnover ratio.

Since 2015, Coleman has helped Carolina rank second in the NFL with 51 interceptions over that span.

Johnson spent 11 seasons with Carolina after the team picked him in the third round of the 2007 Draft out of Georgia. He played in 143 career games for Carolina, the most by any defensive lineman, and ninth-most by all players. Johnson recorded 67.5 sacks in his 11 seasons, ranking second in franchise history behind Julius Peppers. He also ranks second in team history with 20 career forced fumbles.

He recorded 44 sacks between 2010-13, becoming the first player in franchise history to tally at least nine sacks in four consecutive seasons. Johnson made 352 career tackles with 28 pass deflections.

Johnson played in seven postseason games, and holds the franchise record for most career sacks in the playoffs with five, including his three sacks in the 2015 Super Bowl run which tied for the franchise most in one postseason.