By Thomas Bray
April 1, 2026
Photo: Jacob Kupferman / AP
After winning their first NFC South title in a decade and falling just short in a narrow wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Carolina Panthers entered the 2026 offseason with momentum — and a general manager determined to build on it. Over the course of a single frenetic week, Dan Morgan bolstered a roster already showing promise, just one year removed from a 5-12 season and two years removed from a 2-15 campaign.
The message out of Charlotte is unambiguous: the window is open, and the Panthers climbed right through it.
“Not acceptable.” That was Morgan’s blunt assessment of Carolina’s pass-rush production heading into free agency. So he acted accordingly. The Panthers’ biggest move — arguably the most significant splash from any team in the 2026 free agency cycle — came when the Panthers signed Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million deal with $80 million in guarantees.
Phillips, 26, turning 27 in May, ranked ninth in quarterback pressures in 2025 with 73 and had been effective in Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme — a system similar to the one Carolina runs under coordinator Ejiro Evero. He’s had 28 sacks across five NFL seasons, a figure that drew some national skepticism over the contract’s price tag. But Morgan bet on disruption over raw sack totals, and the fit with Evero’s scheme appears to be a calculated one.
Hours after landing Phillips, the Panthers agreed to terms with former Jacksonville Jaguar Devin Lloyd on a three-year, $42 million deal — the top off-ball linebacker in free agency. Lloyd recorded 81 total tackles with five interceptions in 2025, including a 99-yard pick-six against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. The move strengthens the inside linebacker position in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 scheme, solidifying a spot that became thin last season following Trevin Wallace’s injuries. Lloyd, an athletic three-down linebacker with good size at 6’3” and 235 pounds, also has the versatility to roam the second level of the defense, with the ability to stop the run, cover tight ends and running backs, and blitz when needed.
The defensive additions grabbed the loudest headlines, but one of the most critical moves of the offseason may have come on the offensive side — and it was born out of necessity.
Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during the Panthers’ playoff loss to the Rams in January, leaving a gaping hole on the blind side of quarterback Bryce Young. Ekwonu’s backup, veteran tackle Yosh Nijman, then surprisingly retired at the age of 30.
Morgan moved quickly to sign Rasheed Walker, who had started 48 games over the last three seasons in Green Bay, on a one-year, $4 million contract, which can increase to a maximum of $10 million with performance-based incentives. At 6’6″ and 324 pounds, Walker has the size and athleticism to protect Young’s blind side, although his run blocking isn’t as strong as Ekwonu’s. Walker is a formidable replacement this season, but with Ekwonu in the final year of his contract and recovering from injury, the Panthers could still be looking for more depth in the draft.
Carolina also addressed the center position, signing Luke Fortner to a one‑year deal worth up to $4.75 million with performance incentives after Cade Mays departed for the Detroit Lions. Fortner appeared in all 17 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2025 and started the final 10 contests at center following an injury to Erik McCoy. Stone Forsythe, a veteran lineman with five years of NFL experience and 27 career starts, was added for depth on the offensive line as Ekwonu works through his recovery.
At the combine, Morgan said he would be looking for another young, athletic quarterback, and he followed through by signing Kenny Pickett to a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, with $4 million guaranteed, then shipping Andy Dalton to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick. Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick now with his fifth NFL franchise, spent the 2025 season in Las Vegas and is expected to compete for the backup role behind Young.
The Panthers also added a familiar face for Young in the receiving room. John Metchie III — who caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2021 college season at Alabama, the same year Young won the Heisman Trophy — signed a one-year deal. He’ll join a deep receiver corps that includes Xavier Legette, Jimmy Horn Jr., Jalen Coker, David Moore, and Brycen Tremayne, complementing Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan.
Running back A.J. Dillon, who had limited carries for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 after missing all of 2024 with a neck injury, signed a one-year deal to back up and complement Chuba Hubbard and 2024 second-round pick Jonathan Brooks — who is expected to be ready for organized team activities — in a Carolina backfield that lost back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle to Pittsburgh in free agency.
Safety Nick Scott returned on a one-year deal after starting all 17 games and recording a career-high 111 tackles in 2025. Outside linebacker Trevis Gipson re-signed after recording a sack in the wild-card game against the Rams. Tight end James Mitchell also returned, along with defensive end LaBryan Ray, cornerback Robert Rochell, linebackers Isaiah Simmons and Claudin Cherelus, and receiver David Moore, all on short-term deals. Punter Sam Martin signed a two-year extension, likely signaling his intent to finish his career with the Panthers. The one notable departure beyond Dowdle was defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, whom Carolina released to free up cap space before spending began in earnest.
The Panthers added a premier pass rusher, the best available linebacker, and addressed their most urgent offensive line need, all while retaining the core of the team. Carolina picks 19th in April’s draft with seven total selections. How Morgan fills the remaining gaps will determine whether this offseason’s work translates into a Super Bowl contender. But the foundation he built in free agency signals something the Panthers haven’t projected in years: a clear favorite in the division, poised to win their first playoff game in more than a decade.
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the Panthers currently holding the No. 19 pick and seven total selections.
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