CHARLOTTE - The Panthers closed out the 2019 preseason with a 25-19 home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now it's decision-time for Carolina for one of the most important positions on your 53-man roster.
Kicker.
Rookie Joey Slye, who came into the preseason finale a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals, may have sealed his 53-man roster selection by booming a 59-yard field goal in Carolina's win.
Slye finished the night 1-of-2 and 2-for-2 on his extra points - with the miss coming off a blocked kick by the Steelers special teams.
"We're gonna sit down and make all those decisions tomorrow morning...it would be very tough [to leave him off the roster]. He came in with an opportunity and has made the most of it."
Slye so far has taken his shot in stride.
"I'm just going to go home and pray with my family for a good opportunity. I'll wait to see what happens, and I'm ready for whatever the team needs me to do."
Rivera joked with the Panthers kicker in the locker room - even telling the rookie to not to give out his number to reporters after the game knowing how popular he has been of late in practice and in the games.
"I was real happy for Joey," Rivera said at the podium. "He's got a tremendous story. He just came in on a whim. We needed to bring a guy in, and he was there."
Rivera was also asked if he had any issues or worries sending his rookie kicker out there for a nearly 60-yard field goal a day before cut-day.
The Panthers head coach replied that Slye's confidence was all he needed to see.
"Looking at Joey, you feel real confident in him that he's got that kind of leg. He's pretty stoic getting up there."
Less than a year ago on the same field, Rivera and Graham Gano shared that level of confidence in his ability to kick a long field goal.
Last October, Gano kicked a 63-yard field goal to beat the New York Giants 33-31 in a Week 5 victory.
But that level of confidence from Gano seemed distant Thursday night as the Panthers veteran kicker looked to the PR staff for answers about what he could disclose about his situation.
Gano revealed to the media that he hasn't kicked since the middle of training camp due to a flare up in his left knee- the same disorder which ended his season early in 2018 - and that's why the team was forced to call upon Slye in Spartanburg.
Gano said there's only so much control he has over the situation.
"Everybody plays through injuries at this level, and it just depends on the severity of the injury. I've had my fair share. Broken bones...broken ankles...I've played through a ton of games with them."
"I'll handle it and try to get as healthy as I can. That's what I've been doing every day - preparing as if I'm going to get my body healthy."
If Gano were to be placed on IR again to start the 2019 campaign, he would miss at a minimum the first eight games of the season and would have to be one of their two players chosen to return off the reserved list.
Gano did share a moment with his fellow kicking comrade in between lockers, and the former Pro Bowl kicker is just trusting the coaches, personnel staff and doctors to make the right decision about his immediate kicking future.
"My preference right now would be to be healthy and kicking balls right now, but I'm dealing with this as best I can. I trust the guys here to do their jobs...I just want to get healthy and kick the ball well."