A former Penn State defensive back has been placed on waivers.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported that the Carolina Panthers have waived Tariq Castro-Fields.
#Panthers waived Tarique Castro-Fields
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 1, 2024
Castro-Fields has been in the NFL since 2022, when the 49ers drafted him in the sixth round.
He didn’t make San Francisco’s team coming out of training camp but did get picked up by the Washington Commanders, which is less than an hour from his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He spent two seasons in our nation’s capital, appearing in 10 games and starting one. The Commanders cut him shortly before the start of the 2024 season, and Carolina claimed him Aug. 28.
Castro-Fields played in two games with the Panthers, who are 1-3.
At Penn State, he made All-Big Ten honorable mention three times. His best year came in 2019, where he ended the season with 52 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions. He was a captain in his senior season of 2021.
Although Castro-Fields struggled in some areas at Penn State, such as open-field tackling, he has qualities that appeal to NFL teams, his speed being one of them.
He showed off his wheels at the 2022 NFL combine, where he ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.
After Castro-Fields got drafted by the 49ers, Penn State coach James Franklin said in a written statement that he was “confident” that Castro-Fields would “make a seamless transition to the NFL and bring with him a veteran presence that few rookies possess.”
“I am confident Tariq will make a seamless transition into the NFL and bring with him a veteran presence few rookies possess.”
“Tariq played in 52 career games for us at Penn State over the past five years, starting 30 of them,” the statement read. “He has triumphed in the face of adversity after missing the bulk of the 2020 season due to injury and came back even stronger for his final season. Tariq’s work ethic was not just limited to football, as he earned his degree in sociology. I am excited for Tariq’s future at the next level and wish him continued success for many years to come.”
