Chandler Wooten Bio
Chandler Wooten (born April 25, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 229 pounds, he plays a physical, downhill style that has helped him survive multiple roster moves since entering the league. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and entered the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted free agent.
Early Life and Background
Chandler Wooten was born on April 25, 1999, in Acworth, Georgia, to Kelvin and Sandra Wooten. He grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where football is a central part of community life, and he developed his love for the game at a young age. His parents supported his athletic ambitions throughout his childhood, and that backing helped shape his disciplined approach to the sport.
Wooten attended North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where he quickly stood out as a defensive prospect. He was nominated as an all-region and all-state player in Georgia and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game, a showcase that highlights the top high school talent in the country. These honors marked him as one of the more closely watched linebacker recruits in his class.
Path to American Football
Rated as the forty-fifth best college football player in Georgia, Wooten drew scholarship interest from several Southeastern Conference programs. He ultimately chose to attend Auburn University over the University of Tennessee, citing the program’s defensive tradition and his comfort with the coaching staff. That decision set the stage for his development as a college linebacker.
As a freshman at Auburn, Wooten served in a backup role and recorded sporadic tackles while learning the Tigers’ defensive scheme. The following year, he was elevated in the depth chart and finished with more tackles than he had in his first season, signaling steady growth. By his junior year, Wooten had become the starting linebacker and established himself as a consistent presence on the field.
Chandler Wooten Career
Early Career (2022)
After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, Wooten signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent. He did not make the Cardinals’ active roster out of training camp, but the organization kept him in the organization by signing him to its practice squad. That move gave him his first professional opportunity to learn an NFL defensive system on a daily basis.
Wooten’s time on the Cardinals’ practice squad was brief. On October 18, 2022, after the Carolina Panthers traded running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers signed Wooten to their active roster from the Cardinals’ practice squad, giving him his first regular-season opportunity in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers First Stint (2022–2024)
Wooten joined a Panthers defense looking for depth at the linebacker position and began working into the rotation. On August 30, 2023, the Panthers waived him and re-signed him to their practice squad, but he was promoted back to the active roster on September 8, 2023. His 2023 season was interrupted on November 7, when he was placed on injured reserve, keeping him off the field as he worked through recovery.
In 2024, Wooten again moved between the active roster and the practice squad. He was waived on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad, then promoted to the active roster on October 2, 2024. He was released and re-signed to the practice squad on October 23, 2024, before being released on November 7, 2024, ending his first continuous stretch in Carolina.
San Francisco 49ers (2024)
On December 17, 2024, Wooten was signed to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, joining a 49ers defense known for its aggressive front seven. His stay in San Francisco was short, as he remained on the practice squad without being elevated to the active roster during the regular season.
Carolina Panthers (Second Stint, 2024–Present)
On December 24, 2024, Wooten returned to the Carolina Panthers when the team signed him off the 49ers’ practice squad. That move reunited him with the organization that gave him his first NFL opportunity and put him back on a path toward a regular role in Carolina.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wooten is known for his downhill, physical linebacker play, using his size and strength to take on blocks at the point of attack. He shows good recognition in the run game and has developed into a reliable special teams contributor, a role that has helped him stay on NFL rosters through multiple transitions.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Wooten’s early career came on October 18, 2022, when he was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ active roster shortly after the Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey. His repeated movement between practice squads and active rosters also reflects the persistence that has defined his professional journey.
Chandler Wooten Career Wins
Wooten’s professional resume is still developing, and the verified highlights of his career center on reaching the NFL and sticking with the Carolina Panthers organization across multiple stints. His on-field production at the NFL level is primarily tied to special teams and rotational linebacker duties.
Other Wins and Performances
At Auburn, Wooten’s most notable individual honor was being voted team captain and winning the Shug Jordan Award during his fifth-year senior season in 2021, recognition reserved for the player who best embodies competitive spirit and leadership. His high school honors, including all-region and all-state selection in Georgia and an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game, remain the foundation of his profile as a player.
Chandler Wooten Family
Family Background and Lineage
Chandler Wooten is the son of Kelvin and Sandra Wooten, who raised him in Acworth, Georgia. His family supported his early athletic development, and his parents remain a central part of his support system as he navigates the ups and downs of an NFL career.
Personal Life
Wooten has kept much of his personal life private, and details about a spouse or children have not been publicly confirmed. He is known to be active on social media, where he shares updates about his training and professional journey with fans.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 NFL season, Chandler Wooten is part of the Carolina Panthers’ linebacker group following his return to the team in late December 2024. His familiarity with the Panthers’ defensive scheme and his special teams value are expected to give him an opportunity to compete for a steady role on the active roster.
Wooten’s early-season storyline will likely center on consistency, as he has moved between the practice squad and active roster in each of his first three professional seasons. Building on his 2021 leadership role at Auburn, where he was voted team captain and won the Shug Jordan Award, he will look to translate that consistency into a more permanent place in the Panthers’ defensive rotation.
The outlook for Wooten in 2025 depends heavily on health and the Panthers’ linebacker depth chart. If he can stay available and continue contributing on special teams while earning defensive snaps, he has a realistic path to remaining on the active roster for the full season for the first time in his NFL career.