Panthers pick up placekicker-punter from Giants

Published 12:00 am Friday, August 27, 2021

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have acquired placekicker-punter and birthday boy Ryan Santoso from the New York Giants for a conditional 2022 seventh-round draft pick.

The Giants announced the deal on Thursday after completing two days of practice with the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Santoso, who has had an outstanding training camp, just didn’t fit in with the Giants because of the presence of former Panthers placekicker Graham Gano and punter Riley Dixon.

Gano, who kicked for Carolina from 2012-18, made 31 of 32 field-goal attempts last season in his first season with New York. He was released by the Panthers in July 2020.

Santoso spent last season on the Giants practice squad. He played in three games for the Tennessee Titans in December 2019. He attempted no field goals, but had touchbacks on 9 of 16 kickoffs (56.3%).

I know he (Santoso) is a quality guy and we wanted to make sure we got him some tape, to be honest with you,” Giants coach Joe Judge said. “This guy deserves to be 1 or 2.”

NFL teams must reduce their rosters to the regular-season limit of 53 players by 4 p.m. Tuesday.