The Carolina Panthers pulled off a massive win on Sunday Night Football, beating the Detroit Lions 32-26 in Week 4. Everyone expected this game to be a shootout, and the game lived up to that billing.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan were fantastic, as was running back Chuba Hubbard. Still, the defense more than held up its end of the bargain against an elite Lions offense. Carolina held Detroit to 26 points and stepped up late in the fourth quarter to keep the Lions from forcing a potential go-ahead touchdown on the final drive.

However, one concerning thing came out of Sunday’s game, and it actually applies to both teams. The Panthers and Lions are each desperately in need of cornerback help and both teams should be eager to make a move.

Akayleb Evans struggled badly in his first start for the Panthers

For the Lions, they’ve needed cornerback help all season long. For Carolina, the need popped up last week when the Panthers placed starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on injured reserve. Both players are expected to be sidelined until November at the earliest, and it could be never longer until Horn returns.

In their place, the Panthers started rookie Will Lee III and Akayleb Evans against the Lions. One of those players lived up to the starting role, and one did not.

Evans was flat out horrible. He was targeted 14 times and allowed 11 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. He did break up one pass just before halftime. That said, a 142.6 passer rating allowed in coverage is not a good look for a starting cornerback.

Lee held up a little better. He was targeted six times and allowed 53 yards with a 94.4 passer rating. That’s an improvement, but it still isn’t the combined level you’d expect from a starting cornerback duo.

With how long Jackson and Horn could be out, it’s too long to roll with what Carolina put on the field Sunday night. Evans’ performance in particular was bad enough to force general manager Dan Morgan to make an immediate move during the bye week.

And Morgan has to act quickly. The Lions are also on the prowl for a starting-caliber cornerback on the trade market, too. Plus, we already saw one corner get moved last week when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys.

Trade options the Panthers need to consider at cornerback

If the Panthers want to make a big splash, Kamari Lassiter of the Houston Texans is the name to watch now that Porter is off the board. My colleague Mike Payton of A to Z Sports’ Detroit mentioned Lassiter as well. He’s feisty and aggressive, and he would fit this defense pretty well, even though he has a knack for penalties at times. It’s unknown whether Houston would actually part with him. Lassiter is a big part of the Texans’ secondary as the running mate to Derek Stingley Jr. It wouldn’t cost quite what Porter did, but a third-round pick and a player would be the price for Houston to entertain this.

If Carolina wants a cheaper option, and the Panthers have multiple Day 3 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft to work with, Donte Jackson makes sense. Jackson spent the first six years of his career in Carolina, starting 76 games, before the Panthers traded him to Pittsburgh. He had the best season of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers last year, starting 15 games, and has made three starts this year. The Chargers are 0-4 and could start shedding players for draft picks. Jackson spent plenty of time in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s defense, so he already knows the scheme if the team is willing to bring him back.

I also mentioned Deonte Banks of the New York Giants last week, and I still think he would be a fascinating option. He just returned a pick-six in his return to action against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. New York already has Greg Newsome II and Dru Phillips, and Paulson Adebo should come back from injured reserve sooner than later. If the Giants part with a corner, I’d expect it to be Banks given how his contract is structured. Carolina could also extend him after the season and pair him with Horn, with Mike Jackson entering the final year of his contract.

The last trade name to watch is Kristain Fulton of the Kansas City Chiefs. Fulton’s name has been floating around as a trade option ever since roster cuts. The Chiefs drafted first-round rookie Mansoor Delane and like Nohl Williams a lot. Meanwhile, L’Jarius Sneed has played plenty of snaps as well, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo doesn’t seem interested in taking him off the field. Fulton has started just one game and played just 58 percent of the defensive snaps. He does have an interception and seven tackles. A change of scenery could help him, and I don’t believe Kansas City would expect much in return.

The bye week is the time for Dan Morgan to strike

This week is the window. It would give the Panthers a full week to get a new cornerback in the building, learn the defense, and get ready to start in Week 6.

Evans is a great special teamer and a good depth player to have. As a starter, though, teams are going to pick him apart every single week after watching his tape from Sunday night. The pressure is on Morgan right now, and this is a move the Panthers need to make over the next couple of days if they want to stay on top of the NFC South standings.