Released by the Raiders earlier this month, Tahir Whitehead will have another opportunity to be a starter. The Panthers are signing the free agent linebacker, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
It’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Whitehead will receive a $1.45MM signing bonus.
Whitehead played in all 32 games during his two-season Raider tenure and was the team’s runaway tackles leader during its final two Oakland seasons. The Panthers saw Luke Kuechly retire earlier this offseason; Whitehead will be in line to move into the starting lineup alongside Shaq Thompson.
Carolina has lost Kuechly and all-time tackles leader Thomas Davis in consecutive offseasons. The team extended Thompson late last season but has a need for another three-down linebacker. Whitehead saw by far the most snaps among Raiders ‘backers from 2018-19 and was a Lions starter in the years prior.
Whitehead, who will turn 30 next week, has only missed three games in an eight-year career. He has produced four straight 100-plus-tackle seasons, leading the Lions in that department during his final two years in Detroit.