Panthers DL LaBryan Ray Retiring Mid-Camp, Team Making Five Roster Moves

The Carolina Panthers announced that DT LaBryan Ray has decided to retire ahead of the 2026 season. 

Panthers make roster moves, after retirement of LaBryan Rayhttps://t.co/Se2BouIyn3

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 4, 2026

He’ll be placed on the reserve/retired list. Carolina also waived wide receiver Gabriel Benyard and waived-injured wide receiver Ainias Smith while signing WRs Roc Taylor and Elijah Cooks.

Losing Ray hurts Carolina’s depth up front on the defensive line, and is the latest unexpected absence the Panthers will have to deal with ahead of the 2026 season.  

Ray, 28, wound up going undrafted out of Alabama back in 2022. He signed a three-year, $2.6 million contract with the Patriots. However, the Patriots waived Ray coming out of the preseason and later signed him to their practice squad.

New England re-signed him to a futures contract in January 2023 but waived him after a month. The Panthers signed him to a contract in January 2023 and he re-signed ahead of each of the past two seasons.

In 2025, Ray appeared in 13 games for the Panthers and recorded 13 total tackles.