Panthers ink former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver

The Carolina Panthers are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Deon Cain to their practice squad. This comes days after Cain was released from the Buffalo Bills, allowing him to find a new home. A standout in the UFL over the last two seasons with the Birmingham Stallions, Cain hopes to find a new, permanent spot in the NFL, and the Panthers are giving him that chance.

The 28-year-old wide receiver has spent his career with multiple teams. Cain, the sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2018 NFL Draft, spent the first two seasons with the Colts. However, once the Colts let him go in 2019, the Steelers jumped all over the opportunity to add him to the practice squad and eventually, the active roster. Cain spent all of 2019 and 2020 with the Steelers before heading to the Philadelphia Eagles for two years from 2021 to 2022, for most of which he was on their practice squad.

Since then, Cain has had those two stints in the UFL and previous USFL, earning opportunities with the Eagles again, Bills, and now the Panthers. The Panthers are somewhat of a homecoming for the Clemson product, who will go back south to try and prove that he belongs in the NFL.

While in the USFL with the Stallions, he was named the USFL Championship MVP in 2023. He has racked up just nine receptions for 124 yards in his NFL career, but has stuck around as a big play threat with great body control.