The Carolina Panthers have decided on their starting center for the upcoming NFL season. Head coach Dave Canales announced Monday that veteran Austin Corbett will take the position, following a competition with Cade Mays during spring training.
Corbett, who is set to turn 30 before the regular season begins, started at center for the first five games last year before suffering a torn biceps injury. He joined the Panthers as a free agent in 2022 after winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams and played all 17 games at guard before an ACL injury ended his season. After recovering, Corbett returned but played only four more games before sustaining an MCL injury in the same knee.
“We talked to Austin and we talked to Cade Mays; they both did a great job,” Canales said. “Austin Corbett’s going to be our starting center.
“We decided to make that decision knowing that this week, going to Houston with the joint practice and then having the game, we felt like those reps just kind of solidifying who’s the starter going to be with Bryce Young, it’s a good time to kind of transition to where he’s getting more of those reps versus split.”
Canales described the contest between Corbett and Mays as highly competitive but pointed out Corbett’s leadership as a deciding factor.
“I mean, it was a really close competition, and I think Corbett just kind of brings a level of leadership that just kind of edged him out, in my opinion,” Canales said. “So, again, competition brings out the best in both guys, and I was really proud of the way that they competed.”
Mays was initially drafted by Carolina in 2022 in the sixth round but was released during roster cuts before spending time on the New York Giants’ practice squad. He later returned to start eight games at center when Corbett was injured.
Canales confirmed Mays will now serve as backup center while also providing depth at guard positions—a role considered important due to current injuries among offensive linemen Damien Lewis (shoulder), Chandler Zavala (knee), and Robert Hunt (ankle). During Monday’s practice session, Brandon Walton and Ja’Tyre Carter filled in for Hunt and Lewis with the first-team unit.
“He’s going to be all across the line,” Canales said of Mays. “He’s our backup center for now, and he can play guard, so he’s a really valuable, really important piece of what we’re doing.”
