Damarri Mathis Bio
Damarri Deshon Mathis is an American professional football cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, he played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers before being selected by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, the 115th overall pick. After three seasons in Denver, Mathis joined the Carolina Panthers in August 2025 as he continues to build his professional career.
Listed at 180 pounds in height and 88 kilograms of playing weight, Mathis has worked primarily as an outside cornerback, contributing on both defense and special teams. He has spent his NFL career transitioning from a developmental rookie into a rotational starter and a depth piece, navigating injuries and positional battles along the way.
Early Life and Background
Damarri Deshon Mathis was born on April 12, 1999, in Lakeland, Florida. He grew up in the same central Florida community where he would later attend high school, developing his athletic foundation alongside his peers in a region known for producing football talent.
Mathis attended Lakeland Senior High School, where he played cornerback and emerged as a college prospect. He was rated a three-star recruit by recruiting services and initially committed to play college football at South Carolina. That commitment did not hold, as Mathis later decommitted from the Gamecocks and signed instead with the University of Pittsburgh, setting the stage for his collegiate career in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Path to American Football
Mathis arrived at Pittsburgh as a developmental cornerback and adjusted quickly to the demands of ACC football. As a freshman, he appeared in nine games, working mostly on special teams while learning the team’s defensive schemes. The experience gave him a foundation in coverage assignments and the physical style required at the collegiate level.
By his junior season, Mathis had become a regular contributor, starting ten of Pittsburgh’s 13 games and recording 23 tackles with 11 passes broken up and two interceptions. His ball production and willingness to compete at the catch point marked him as a prospect worthy of NFL evaluation. After his junior year, he suffered a non-football related shoulder injury that limited him ahead of his senior season, prompting him to use a medical redshirt to preserve eligibility. In his redshirt senior season, he appeared in 13 games, posted 44 tackles, broke up six passes, and intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown. His performance earned him honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition, and he closed his college career by playing in the 2022 Senior Bowl.
Damarri Mathis Career
Early Career (2022)
Damarri Deshon Mathis entered the NFL when the Denver Broncos selected him in the fourth round, 115th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft. As a rookie, he carved out a role in the Denver secondary and gained valuable experience against professional passing attacks during his first season in the league.
His strong showing as a rookie positioned him for a larger role the following year, and he finished his first campaign with momentum heading into his second NFL offseason.
Denver Broncos Era (2022–2025)
Mathis entered the 2023 season as Denver’s second starting cornerback opposite star Patrick Surtain II, a reflection of the trust the Broncos had placed in him after his rookie year. The assignment, however, came with high expectations, and his starting role proved short-lived. Following Denver’s historic 70–20 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 of the 2023 season, Mathis was benched in favor of veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Mathis found himself in another competitive camp battle, this time with second-year cornerback Riley Moss, rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, and veteran Levi Wallace. Moss eventually won the starting job, with Mathis sliding into a backup role. On August 27, 2024, Mathis was placed on short-term injured reserve after sustaining an ankle injury in Week 3 of the preseason. He was activated on October 17 and went on to play primarily on special teams and as a dimeback for the remainder of the season, showing his value as a versatile reserve.
On August 25, 2025, Mathis was waived by the Denver Broncos, closing a three-season chapter with the franchise that had originally drafted him.
Carolina Panthers Era (2025–Present)
Just two days after his release from Denver, Mathis was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers on August 27, 2025, providing him with an immediate opportunity to continue his NFL career. The move gave him a fresh start in a new defensive system and a chance to compete for a roster spot early in the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, his time with Carolina was quickly interrupted. On September 6, 2025, Mathis suffered a torn ACL in practice and was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2025 season. Despite the setback, his addition to the Panthers signaled continued NFL interest in his skill set as a cornerback and special teams contributor.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Mathis’s career is his selection by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, an achievement that validated his college production at Pittsburgh. His interception returned for a touchdown during his redshirt senior season, along with his honorable mention All-ACC recognition, helped establish his draft stock. More recently, his quick waiver claim by the Carolina Panthers in 2025 demonstrated the league-wide regard for his coverage ability and special teams value, even as a torn ACL brought his season to an early end.
Damarri Mathis Career Wins
Damarri Deshon Mathis has compiled a steady professional résumé built on coverage ability, special teams play, and positional versatility. While his career has been marked more by reliability and development than by headline statistics, he has produced key contributions at both the collegiate and professional levels, including multiple interceptions, double-digit pass breakups, and a punt or kickoff coverage presence in Denver.
Damarri Mathis Family
Personal Life
Damarri Deshon Mathis was born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, the community that shaped his early athletic development. Public details about his parents, marital status, or children are not clearly documented in verified sources.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a turbulent year for Damarri Deshon Mathis. He began the offseason still with the Denver Broncos, where he had spent his first three NFL campaigns, but was waived on August 25, 2025, as the team reshaped its cornerback depth chart.
Within two days, on August 27, 2025, Mathis was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers, offering him an opportunity to contribute in a new defensive environment. That opportunity, however, was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL in practice on September 6, 2025, leading to a placement on injured reserve that ended his 2025 season.
Looking ahead, Mathis’s focus shifts to rehabilitation and recovery from the ACL injury, with the goal of returning to the field for the Panthers in a subsequent season. His ability to contribute on defense and special teams, paired with his experience in multiple NFL schemes, should give him a clear pathway back into the league once healthy.