Nick Scott will remain in place with the Panthers for a third season. The veteran safety is re-signing with Carolina, per his agents (h/t Joe Person of The Athletic). The team has since announced the deal. 
This will be a one-year deal. Scott can earn up to $3.25MM in 2026, which would be a notable raise compared to his previous Carolina contracts (both of which were also one year in length). His guarantee figure will be worth watching for, but in any case Scott is in position to remain a full-time defensive starter.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Rams, Scott inked a three-year Bengals deal. The former seventh-rounder was released after just one season with Cincinnati, however. That set up his debut Panthers campaign in 2024, which included a regular role on special teams along with a part-time defensive workload. Scott became a staple in the secondary in 2025, handling a career-high 1,035 snaps on defense.
The Penn State product totaled 111 tackles this past season, comfortably the most in his career. Scott added one interception, three pass deflections and one fumble recovery along the way. Coverage proved to be an issue, with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 117 allowed as the nearest defender. Scott and the Panthers will look for stronger play in that regard moving forward. Carolina ranked 15th against the pass in 2025 under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who will return next year.
Improved play in general will be the expectation for the Panthers on defense given their free agent investments. Big-ticket deals with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd were worked out shortly after the negotiating window opened. Stronger showings in the front seven could of course help Carolina’s secondary and Scott’s individual performance in 2026. That could boost the 30-year-old’s market next spring.
The Panthers entered Saturday with nearly $25MM in cap space. As a result, plenty of room will remain for other outside additions even with Scott on the books once more.