Eku Leota made his first start in the NFL on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers waived the outside linebacker.
Another Auburn alumnus also lost his roster spot on Tuesday when the Cincinnati Bengals released wide receiver Shedrick Jackson from their practice squad.
Jackson starred at Hoover High School, and two other former Alabama prep standouts left NFL rosters on Tuesday, too. The Panthers released tight end Jordan Matthews of Madison Academy, and cornerback Zyon Gilbert of Jeff Davis (now J.A.G.) High School in Montgomery was dropped from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad.
Leota started last season as an undrafted rookie on the Panthers’ practice squad, but he played in eight games in 2023. This season, he had played 56 defensive snaps and 23 special-teams plays in two games. In the season-opening 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 8, Leota recorded a sack and three tackles for loss. The rest of the team has one sack and four tackles for loss in two games.
Jackson also started last season as an undrafted rookie on the Bengals’ practice squad. He ended up appearing in five games, with five offensive snaps and 38 special-teams plays. He did not play in either of Cincinnati’s two 2024 games.
After attending Florida Atlantic, Gilbert caught on with the New York Giants in 2022 as an undrafted rookie and played in three games, with one start, off the practice squad. Since the start of the 2023, Gilbert had been with the Giants, Green Bay Packers and Steelers without appearing in a game.
After setting the SEC records for career receptions and receiving yards at Vanderbilt, Matthews had 225 receptions for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns in 46 games in his first three NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as a wide receiver. Since that three-year start, Matthews has 49 receptions for 615 yards and three touchdowns in 33 games for four teams as he transitioned to tight end.
Matthews was on the field for 24 offensive snaps and 18 special-teams plays in Carolina’s two games this season but had not recorded any stats.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
