Panthers trade kicker Zane Gonzalez to the 49ers

On Friday evening, the news broke that the Carolina Panthers were trading kicker Zane Gonzalez to the San Francisco 49ers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is in exchange for a conditional swap of late round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Gonzalez must pass a physical in order for the trade to be executed, according to Schefter. This year, he drilled 20 of his 22 field goal attempts and connected on 22 of his 23 extra points.

The 49ers will be the fifth team he’s played for during his career in the National Football League, as he’s spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and now the San Francisco 49ers. He’s been pretty steady and consistent throughout his NFL career thus far, drilling 91 of his 113 field goal attempts. The former Arizona State Sun Devil has also nailed 127 of his 134 attempts.

The Panthers have made some waves this offseason, as they recently mortgaged their future for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, they might decide to trade back out of the spot.

The Panthers might not be done maneuvering ahead of the draft, and what they’re potentially considering is unorthodox, to say the least. After giving up multiple first and second round picks plus talented wideout DJ Moore to climb into the No. 1 spot in the draft, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer might trade back out of the spot.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, Reich and Fitterer are sold on more than one quarterback at the top of the draft. With that in mind, picking No. 1 overall isn’t a necessity. From there they sit now, the Panthers decision makers feel like they are in control of the draft.

“A source said Scott Fitterer and Frank Reich have conviction on a couple of QBs at the top. If they end up liking more than 1, they could potentially trade down,” Person tweeted.

While a trade-up-to-one-then-trade-back move like that hasn’t occurred in recent memory, it would likely result in the Panthers recouping some draft capital while still picking ahead of their previous draft slot at No. 9 overall.

And with quarterback the likely pick and No. 1 overall currently on their books, an important question likely looms for Reich, Fitterer and the Panthers: Bryce Young or CJ Stroud? (Or even someone else?)

One thing is for certain with Carolina this offseason, the franchise has not been afraid to make bold moves that they believe are in the best interest of their future.

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.