Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Panthers Re-Sign OL Brady Christensen, Add P Sam Martin

March 11th, 2025 at 9:14pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Panthers have re-signed offensive lineman Brady Christensen and agreed to terms with veteran punter Sam Martin, according to a pair of team announcements.

Christensen will receive a one-year, $2.8MM contract that is fully-guaranteed, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Carolina first acquired him with a third-round pick (No. 70 overall) in 2021 after a stellar career at BYU.

The Panthers tried to keep him at tackle as a rookie, but he moved inside in 2022 and started all 17 games at left guard. A biceps tear ended Christensen’s 2023 season after just one game, and he didn’t earn a starting job in 2024. Injuries pressed him into action anyway, and he finished the season with four starts at center and two at left tackle. The 28-year-old will compete for a starting role along the interior of the offensive line in 2025.

Martin’s deal is worth up to $3MM over one year, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He was released by the Bills last week after spending the last three years in Buffalo. The 35-year-old previously punted for the Broncos (2020-2021) after starting his career with the Lions (2013-2019).

Statistically, Martin was a below-average punter in 2024. He has been consistent throughout his career, but has never profiled as one of the league’s best at his position. A $3M APY would move Martin into a tie with several other players as the third-highest-paid punter in the NFL, but the language of Rapoport’s report indicates that the deal’s base value is lower.

Panthers Release RB Miles Sanders

March 11th, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Adam La Rose

Miles Sanders‘ tenure with the Panthers has come to an expected end. The veteran running back was released on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Sanders was prepared to restructure his contract to remain in Carolina, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Team and player negotiated such a move, but no agreement could be reached. Now, the former Eagles Pro Bowler will hit the market for the second time in his career.

The top running back earner in the 2023 offseason, Sanders inked a four-year Panthers pact. By cutting bait halfway through the deal, the team will generate $5.23MM in cap space while incurring a dead money charge of $2.95MM. Carolina will now move forward with Chuba Hubbard atop the backfield depth chart.

The 25-year-old Canadian set new career high with 1,195 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Midway through the campaign, Hubbard inked a four-year extension which prevented him from reaching free agency this spring. He will be counted on to remain a lead back moving forward while 2024 second-rounder Jonathon Brooks rehabs his second ACL tear.

Sanders finished out his rookie contract with an impressive Eagles season (1,347 scrimmage yards, 11 touchdowns, 4.9 yards per carry). The Penn State product found himself on the move with Philadelphia electing to sign D’Andre Swift – and later, Saquon Barkley – however, leading to his Panthers agreement. His Carolina tenure did not go according to plan, and during a six-week stretch this past season Sanders was inactive.

While the 27-year-old returned to the lineup during the season finale and operated as a starter (due to other injuries), it was widely expected a parting of ways would take place. Sanders will now look to find a new home with his stock in a much worse spot than it was two years ago. The likes of Najee Harris and Javonte Williams have lined up new deals in the early portion of the offseason, and the 2025 draft class features several highly-acclaimed running backs. Sanders may need to wait to find a suitor as a result.

Patriots, Milton Williams Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 11:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers looked to be the frontrunners to secure Milton Williams, but that will no longer be the case . The Patriots are adding Williams instead, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

Williams will head to Foxborough on a monster deal that averages $26MM per season over four years. After the Cowboys kept Osa Odighizuwa off the market, Williams — PFR’s No. 3 overall free agent — will benefit from being allowed to speak with multiple suitors.

Carolina was deep in talks with Williams, who will parlay a big contract year into a seismic second contract. The Panthers were close to a deal, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Patriots then upped their price — on a deal that includes $63MM guaranteed — to end the derby. After Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins reset the D-tackle market last year, Williams will benefit. Assuming the $63MM represents Williams’ guarantee total (as opposed to the amount fully locked in at signing), that still ranks sixth among DTs.

The Eagles had re-signed Zack Baun, but the Super Bowl champions had left Williams, Josh Sweat and Mekhi Becton unattached as the legal tampering period began today. Williams represents the first defection, and Sweat has since committed to the Cardinals, rejoining Jonathan Gannon.

Williams’ contract year produced career-high numbers in sacks (five) and QB hits (10). Used as a part-time starter, the Louisiana Tech product totaled 18 pressures as well, ranking sixth in DT pass rush win rate. Pro Football Focus ranked the former third-round pick as the No. 1 interior pass rusher last season, and the Patriots will buy in while the Eagles will predictably build their DT future around Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.

The Patriots extended Christian Barmore last year but saw him miss most of the season due to blood clots. Barmore returned late in the year and will now pair with Williams to round out a pricey D-tackle duo. Williams joins Harold Landry, Carlton Davis and Robert Spillane as additions aimed at restoring the Patriots to an upper-crust defense. After two-plus decades carrying such chops, New England plummeted to 22nd in yards and points allowed despite Christian Gonzalez‘s All-Pro ascent.

Coming into free agency with the most cap space in the NFL, the Patriots are delivering on Mike Vrabel’s push to both spend in free agency and bolster their lines. Williams will be the biggest bet any team makes on the D-line during this free agency period, and the Pats will expect him to build on a breakout season.

Williams showed flashes before, having supplied a career-high nine tackles for loss during the Eagles’ 2022 NFC championship season. Although his Super Bowl LIX sack-strip-recovery sequence introduced the former third-round pick to the casual fans — ones that were still watching by that point — Williams will be out to prove he is not a one-year wonder.

Panthers To Re-Sign CB Michael Jackson

March 10th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers did not tell Michael Jackson to “Beat It.” After trading for the veteran cornerback just prior to the start of the 2024 season in exchange for seventh-round rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, Carolina has opted to retain the 28-year-old defender on a two-year, $14.5MM deal, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

The trade certainly worked out in Carolina’s favor as Barrett was waived just five days after the deal by the Seahawks before re-signing to their practice squad. He was then released just after the team’s season-opener and signed two days later to the Browns’ practice squad. Barrett was once again released in early-October and didn’t get signed again until the Packers brought him onto their practice squad on November 30. He was elevated by the Packers in the final week of the season but didn’t see any snaps. Barrett has not been signed to a reserve/futures deal and remains a free agent.

While Barrett bounced around, unable to find any playing time, Jackson started every game of the season for the Panthers, notching career highs in total tackles (76), tackles for loss (3), passes defended (17), and interceptions (2). It was only the second time Jackson played a full season as a starter.

Like Barrett, Jackson had a similarly rough start to his NFL career. He started as a fifth-round pick for the Cowboys out of Miami, failing to make the make the 53-man roster but signing to the practice squad. He was signed off Dallas’ taxi squad to the Lions’ active roster but only made one appearance in eight weeks with the team. The team announced they were waiving him the following August but instead traded him to New England. He made the initial 53-man roster with the Patriots but was soon waived and re-signed to the practice squad, where he was elevated for the final game of the season.

In 2021, he was waived in the Patriots’ final roster cuts but signed with the Seahawks practice squad two days later, getting elevated for two games. Jackson became a surprise name in Seattle’s camp the following offseason and became a starter in the new-look secondary. He not only earned his first career start but started every game of the season, as well, though he graded out below average, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him 84th among 118 players graded at the position. Jackson saw a reduced role in 2023 for Seattle, only starting four games, but his play improved analytically, as PFF graded him as the 19th-best cornerback of 127 players.

In a return to a full-time starting role this year, and despite joining the team just two and half weeks before the season started, Jackson graded out above average, with PFF grading him as the 43rd-best corner of 116. He returns to a secondary that recently gave a big payday to Jaycee Horn. Horn and Jackson will likely continue to act as the team’s top cornerback options while some younger talent fills out the depth lost as Lonnie Johnson, Dane Jackson, and Caleb Farley all head towards free agency.

Panthers To Sign DT Tershawn Wharton

March 10th, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carolina is beefing up Derrick Brown‘s supporting cast, it seems. After adding Rams nose tackle Bobby Brown, the Panthers are bringing in a former sidekick of Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton.

Following a production uptick in a contract year, Wharton will cash in big. He is heading to Charlotte on a three-year, $54MM deal that comes with $30MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. When compared to contracts from last year, Wharton’s deal would rank in the top 14 for what defensive tackles made annually.

Wharton signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Missouri S&T and immediately found his way into the defensive line rotation as a rookie. Over three years with the team, he started just two games, but he got consistent snap shares in every game until tearing his ACL in 2022 after just five games. When his three-year, undrafted deal ran out, Kansas City signed him back on a one-year deal, despite the recent injury. He returned to his normal production and earned another one-year deal, which he played on this year.

In 2024, Wharton surpassed Derrick Nnadi on the depth chart, earning multiple starts in a single season for the first time in his career. With 10 starts in 17 game appearances, Wharton’s production saw an uptick, resulting in career highs in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (11). Of 118 players graded at the position, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Wharton at 49th. While his run defense left something to be desired, his pass rushing grade ranked 22nd for interior defenders in the league.

Along with the two Browns on the interior, Wharton will now attempt to improve a Panthers defense that finished 32nd in the league in rushing yards allowed and 31st in the league in rushing touchdowns allowed. He’ll also utilize his superior pass rush abilities to improve on a defense whose 32 sacks ranked 29th in the NFL last season.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Panthers, DL Bobby Brown Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 4:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers made it a priority to upgrade along the defensive interior early in the lead-in to free agency. A Milton Williams agreement did not come to pass, but the team has managed to pivot quickly.

Bobby Brown has a deal in place, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The former Ram will not offer the impact against the pass that Williams would have, but he will provide a run-stopping presence for his new team. The 24-year-old handled starting duties with Los Angeles for each of the past two seasons.

Providing further details, Rapoport notes Brown will collect $21MM on a three-year pact. With a maximum value of $27MM (thanks to incentives), this deal marks quite the raise from his rookie contract. Brown slotted in at No. 48 on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agent List, and he has not needed to wait long to secure a significant pact.

Pro Football Focus graded Brown as a top-30 run-defending DT during Aaron Donald‘s final season and last year, after the all-time great retired. The Panthers, whose defense spiraled to a last-place finish in 2024, will bet on Brown to help their run defense. Brown’s deal checks in south of where the Broncos went to retain nose tackle D.J. Jones late last night. With Brown not turning 25 until August, the Panthers have some upside here.

Brown is also familiar with Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, though perhaps somewhat indirectly. Evero was in place as Rams DBs coach during Brown’s rookie season, which doubled as the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning campaign. Carolina will pair Bobby Brown with the recovering Derrick Brown in 2025. While the Panthers need to revamp their outside linebacker contingent, the two Browns figure to matter plenty up front.

Panthers To Add Patrick Jones

March 10th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers did not wind up landing Milton Williams, but they are nevertheless adding along the defensive front. Edge rusher Patrick Jones is heading to Carolina, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

This will be a two-year deal, Garafolo adds. The pact has a maximum value of $20MM. Jones flashed potential in 2024, the final year of his rookie pact, and it has now earned him a payday.

Garafolo previously mentioned Jones as a player who might do better than expected in free agency, and his contract year is almost definitely at the root of it. Jones stepped in as a rotational rusher and registered seven sacks for the Vikings, who gave him only four starts throughout his rookie contract. Jones also racked up career-best numbers in tackles for loss (nine) and QB hits (12) last season.

Although Jones did tally four sacks in 2022, the Panthers are betting on the former third-round pick’s upside over his past production. That can be a good route to take in free agency, which regularly sees overpays. Jones, though, played 635 defensive snaps in 2023 and posted one sack. The Panthers also have major questions at edge rusher, with Jadeveon Clowney going into his age-32 season and ex-Jones Viking teammate D.J. Wonnum not seeing much time after a late activation off the PUP list.

No Panther topped six sacks after Brian Burns‘ departure, and the team plummeted to 32nd in both points and yards allowed — despite the team increasing its win total to five. The Panthers probably will still be on the lookout for EDGE help, but they have a hopeful hidden gem in Jones.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Panthers Expected To Sign Tre’von Moehrig

March 10th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Rory Parks

The Panthers lost out to the Patriots in the battle to sign coveted free agent DT Milton Williams, but another big fish is still on the line. Safety Tre’von Moehrig looks to have an agreement in place with Carolina, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Schultz says Moehrig is set to receive a three-year, $51MM pact. While the incumbent Raiders were interested in retaining him, the 25-year-old will find himself on the move once the contract is finalized. Moehrig’s new pact can top out at $60MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds.

A second-round pick of Las Vegas in the 2021 draft, Moehrig has been in the starting lineup since Week 1 of his rookie campaign. The TCU alum made a successful transition from Gus Bradley’s defense in 2021 to Patrick Graham’s in the subsequent three seasons, and he saved the best for his walk year. Marcus Epps going down in Week 3 of the 2024 slate allowed for Moehrig to play near the line of scrimmage more frequently (439 box snaps in 2024 compared to 326 in ’23), and he responded with a career-best 104 tackles to go with five TFLs and a sack. Moehrig also snared two interceptions, giving him five over the past two seasons.

Per Pro Football Focus, Moehrig ranks in the top-15 among safeties in terms of INTs and forced incompletion rate from 2023-24. That production set him up as one of the most desirable DBs on this year’s free agent market, and he landed at No. 24 on our list of 2025’s Top 50 FAs.

Carolina, which finished dead last in terms of total defense and in the bottom-10 in terms of passing yards allowed in 2024, was known to be targeting defensive reinforcements for DC Ejiro Evero‘s unit. That agenda triggered the pursuit of Williams and Moehrig, and the Panthers have also agreed to sign edge rusher Patrick Jones and D-linemen Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton.

The Raiders, perhaps knowing they were going to lose Moehrig to another club, agreed to terms with fellow safety Jeremy Chinn earlier today.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Panthers Pursuing Milton Williams Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 12:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have, as expected, made a strong push with respect to an outside defensive addition. Milton Williams is on Carolina’s radar.

Team and player are finalizing a deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Nothing is in place for now, and free agent deals cannot of course be signed until the new league year begins on Wednesday. Terms can be agreed to at any time, though, and Williams would represent a major addition for the Panthers.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports other teams are still making their own efforts to secure Williams. A Panthers arrangement is considered close, but a last-minute change could still take place. The Eagles standout entered the week as PFR’s No. 3 free agent and second-best defender. It comes as no surprise interest has quickly been shown early in the negotiating period.

Once Osa Odighizuwa agreed to a new Cowboys deal (with a franchise tag looming anyway), it was clear Williams would be the top DL free agent in 2025. His rookie pact consisted of a part-time role in Philadelphia, but it allowed him to showcase his upside. Williams set a new career high in sacks (five) and QB hits (10) in 2024 during the regular season, then delivered highly impactful performances during the team’s Super Bowl run.

Panthers Extend CB Jaycee Horn

March 10th, 2025 at 9:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Jaycee Horn and the Panthers have managed to work out a deal keeping him in place for the foreseeable future. Talks on that front have produced a record-setting agreement.

Horn has agreed to a four-year extension, as confirmed in a team announcement. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the pact is worth $100MM and includes $70MM guaranteed. The $25MM annual average value of the pact is the most for any defensive back in NFL history.

The locked-in money comprises a practical (not full) guarantee, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds to no surprise. A rolling structure is in place like many big-ticket deals around the league. Still, this represents a major investment on Carolina’s part to prevent a potential 2026 free agent departure.

Team and player were known to be negotiating a long-term pact, and Horn remaining mostly healthy in 2024 (en route to a Pro Bowl) helped his leverage. In two of his four career campaigns, the former No. 8 pick has been able to play close to a full campaign and operate as Carolina’s top cover man. Considering the fact Horn played a combined nine games between the 2021 and ’23 seasons, though, the extent of this commitment is notable.

The most recent update on the matter noted that a deal at or near the top of the cornerback market was the target in this case, so in that respect today’s news comes as little surprise. Jalen Ramsey previously held the top spot in annual compensation at $24.1MM, but Horn has now moved past that mark. Importantly, this agreement has been reached before the likes of Sauce Gardner (Jets) and Derek Stingley (Texans) ink monster deals of their own.

Adding on defense is a clear priority for the Panthers this offseason, and the team entered Monday with roughly $26MM in cap space. The 2025 figure for Horn (who was already on the books thanks to his $12.47MM fifth-year option) could be lowered as a result of the pact, but in any case funds will be available for outside secondary additions. Even if Carolina makes a splash at cornerback or safety, though, the 25-year-old will of course be counted to anchor the unit.

Horn posted 13 pass deflections along with a career-high 68 tackles and the first two sacks of his NFL tenure in 2024. The 53.2% completion percentage he allowed was the lowest since his abbreviated rookie campaign, a sign he will be capable of operating as a true No. 1 for years to come. That will be key as Carolina looks to turn to younger option at the CB spot in particular and on defense in general as the unit prepares to move on without linebacker Shaq Thompson.

Carolina ranked last in total and scoring defense in 2024. As the team looks to build off the momentum showed by quarterback Bryce Young‘s showings in the latter stages of the season, taking a major step forward on the other side of the ball will be needed for 2025 and beyond. Horn will play a central role in that effort for years to come.

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