The big-legged kicker who never had a problem booting it past the endzone on kickoffs and seemingly always had a shot at hitting a 60+ yard field goal was released by the Carolina Panthers following their final preseason game against the Steelers. Slye was up and down throughout his tenor with Carolina, but the Panthers seemed to have confidence in him as they opened the 2021 training camp without any other field-goal kicker on the roster. Reports that Slye was seeing a sports psychologist alluded that the pressures surrounding his past inconsistencies had been mounting.

Slye, however, would go on to struggle throughout training camp and the preseason, missing his first kick against the Indianapolis Colts. As the struggles continued, Carolina brought in some light competition to hopefully challenge Slye to work through his rut. Slye’s descent only continued last week as he went 0=3 and finished 2-5 on the day in a kicking competition with the newly arrived, and since waived, Dominik Eberle. I know, it’s wild that the guy who won the kicking competition was the guy who got waived. Some suspect Eberle didn’t have a strong enough leg on kickoffs. Carolina quickly moved to acquire Ryan Santoso from the New York Giants for 7th round conditional pick

Carolina trotted out Santoso for the first kick against the Steelers, where he made a 54-yard field-goal. Santoso grinned underneath that killer mustache as the ball clanked off the post but managed to still get through the uprights. As relief set in for Santoso, pressure only mounted on Slye. Carolina would give him another opportunity, but he again pushed the ball right. As he prepared for the kick, you could see the nerves. It was apparent that the problem wasn’t a rut, but instead a case of the yips.

Carolina released Joey Slye today, leaving Santosa as the heir apparent. Let’s just hope Santosa keeps smiling as we move into the 2022 season.

By Tony Dunn, host of the C3 Panthers Podcast
Follow @Cat_Chronicles for the latest Panthers news and opinions from the fan perspective.