The Carolina Panthers made significant investments into the trenches for the second offseason in a row. Only this time instead of focusing on offense, the Panthers are adding to their defense, which allowed the most points in the NFL last season.

Yet, just because the Panthers made a big money signing with Tershawn Wharton, it doesn’t mean it was worth the cost.

Related: 6 biggest winners from NFL free agency Day 2

Carolina Panthers win ‘Panic Award’ for Tershawn Wharton signing

The Carolina Panthers struck quickly early on during NFL free agency, signing former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton to a three-year, $45 million contract. While that’s a significant investment, the Panthers originally had a different target in mind, Milton Williams, who agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots.

Carolina was reportedly negotiating with Williams until the Patriots presented an offer that was too good to refuse. Thus, the Panthers pivoted to signing Wharton instead.

Yet, according to ESPN’s NFL analyst Ben Solak, the decision to pivot to Wharton and pay him an average of $15 million per season was a panic move.

Wharton will be asked to play a big role in Carolina and with how much the Panthers paid him, he’ll be expected to produce at a very high level. If he doesn’t this move will come back to bite them, costing them the chance to spend on other players who do contribute to their potential success.

Related: Top 10 free agents available ahead of NFL free agency Day 3

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing
• Pittsburgh Steelers sign former New York Jets player, but it’s not Aaron Rodgers

The Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans were two of the most aggressive teams in the NFL last offseason. One year later on the eve of NFL free agency, both clubs are reportedly going to be competing for the same highly-coveted free agent.

In 2024, Carolina overhauled its offensive line with the additions of guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. The team also addressed its defense, adding edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and linebacker Josey Jewell. Meanwhile, Tennessee signed Calvin Ridley while signing Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry and Kenneth Murray Jr.

Related: NFL free agency predictions 2025, including the Carolina Panthers

However, the additions did little to yield significant improvements defensively. As a result, the latest NFL rumors are shedding light on one top defender Tennessee and Carolina could both aggressively pursue.

According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the Panthers and Titans are expected to be involved in the bidding war for Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland.

Related: NFL trades we’d love to see, one involving the Carolina Panthers

Holland, only 25 years old, was one of the top free safeties in the NFL over his first three seasons. He recorded 21 pass deflections with 5 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles in his first three years. However, Holland’s effectiveness and range dipped this past year following a knee injury in 2023. Still, talent evaluators believe he can still be a high-end playmaker for years to come.

Miami wants Holland back, but the bidding war for his services might change that. Wolfe shared that Holland’s next deal will eclipse $15 million per year but it could get close to $20 million annually. If other clubs start offering him $19-plus million annually, it might be out of the Dolphins’ price range for re-signing him.

Carolina is also in the market for defensive line help, with defensive tackle Milton Williams and edge rusher Chase Young. Meanwhile, per Titans’ reporter Buck Reising of A to Z Sports, Tennessee has interest in free-agent quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Mac Jones as potential backup options for the 2025 season.

Related: Insider reveals what Tennessee Titans might want for the No. 1 pick

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

Dave Canales, in his first season as an NFL head coach, helped take a Carolina Panthers team that won two games in 2023 to one that won five in 2024. Now that the Panthers are seemingly on the verge of having a breakout season, they could be a bigger threat to add an impact star.

Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: Who should the Panthers draft?

Carolina Panthers insider: Keep an eye on Milton Williams signing

The Carolina Panthers still need more help on both sides of the ball after having the 23rd-ranking scoring offense and 32nd-ranked defense. Boasting the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft gives the Panthers a good chance of landing an impact player, but Carolina could make waves, far before the draft kicks off.

According to Panthers insider Joseph Person, fans should keep an eye out for players such as nose tackle D.J. Jones from Denver or even Eagles Super Bowl hero Milton Williams.

After investing into the offensive interior last offseason, now the Panthers appear ready to upgrade a defense that was historically bad, allowing more points than anyone else in league history. Yet, whether Williams chases a big paycheck in Carolina or prefers a more ready-made contender remains to be seen.

Related: Promising Carolina Panthers rumors on NFL free agency plans, several targets revealed

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

The Carolina Panthers spent aggressively in NFL free agency last offseason, committing more than $150 million alone on guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. With those signings playing a role in a turnaround season for quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers are expected to take that same approach this offseason.

With Tee Higgins taken off the board and Chris Godwin expected to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there isn’t a No. 1 wide receiver available in NFL free agency. It will likely push the Panthers front office to address the position early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Related: 2025 NFL mock draft, see who the Carolina Panthers land

However, there are still plenty of glaring needs Carolina will need to address. The Panthers had the worst NFL defense in 2024 and they need help at tight end with more depth at running back and wide receiver. With free agency approaching, the club has specific targets in mind.

ESPN NFL writer Dan Graziano reported on Sunday that the word around the NFL Combine was that the Panthers will be pursuing “big-game players” in NFL free agency. Carolina is reportedly adamant about adding to its defense with a specific list of top targets.

Who will the Carolina Panthers sign in 2025

One of the Panthers top free agent targets is defensive tackle Milton Williams. While he’s never earned a Pro Bowl selection, the reigning Super Bowl champion had the sixth-highest ESPN pass-rush win rate (13 percent) last season. Putting that into context, it was even higher than Pro Bowl selections Vita Vea (12%) and Jeffery Simmons (12%). Williams, who turns 26 in April, is expected to receive multiple contract offers north of $20 million per season.

Related: Carolina Panthers ‘love’ specific target at 8th pick in 2025 NFL Draft

In addition to Williams, Carolina is also reportedly targeting much-needed help for its secondary. Former Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland and former Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum are both on the “short list” of Panthers free agent targets.

Holland, who turns 26 this month, was one of the best free safeties in the NFL before a down season in 2024. He won’t be receiving the franchise tag from Miami, giving Carolina a clear path to potentially land the standout defensive back. Bynum, who turns 27 in July, was a three-year starter for Minnesota and is well-regarded for his playmaking ability. Both players are expected to command multi-year deals worth more than $15 million per season.

Related: Regrading NFL coaching hires 2024, including the Carolina Panthers

Another name on the Panthers’ radar is edge rusher Chase Young. In 17 games last season, he recorded 21 QB hits with 5.5 sacks and was credited with 34 total pressures. It’s possible Carolina could add two of its targets, potentially adding Young and either Williams or Holland to bolster the Panthers defense.

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

There’s been some media speculation over the last few days that the Carolina Hurricanes could consider trading Mikko Rantanen if he isn’t willing to extend prior to the trade deadline. That might sound far-fetched given what the Canes just gave up acquiring Rantanen and since he significantly improves their chances of winning the Cup this year.  But I think it’s plausible.  

It’s certainly the type of contingency that a group that includes GM Eric Tulsky and advisor Eric Joyce, my old AGM partner in Florida Panthers. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon would have at least talked about it in some detail before committing to the Necas/Rantanen trade.  

The interesting question to me is this: How much should Rantanen value signing with Carolina and securing an 8th contract year instead of becoming a free agent?

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the answer to that question is: “not as much as you might think”.

Can Rantanen only get 8 years in Carolina?

While it’s true that only Carolina can offer Rantanen an 8th year if he’s on their reserve list prior to the trade deadline, Rantanen shouldn’t be too focused on that for two main reasons. 

First, if push comes to shove and the sides aren’t close as July 1 nears, Carolina will be extremely incentivized to trade his rights to another club in exchange for value. As we’ve seen with Matt Tkachuk (and his agent Craig Oster at Newport, who orchestrated things perfectly), one way Carolina could recoup some value in that scenario would be to agree to a sign-and-trade with Rantanen’s preferred club, which gives him an 8-year deal elsewhere.

The second reason is that, at age 28 and with the leverage that comes with being one of the league’s best players, Rantanen should be optimizing for 9 high value contract years this offseason, rather than 8.   If we assume Rantanen plays at or near his historic form over the remainder of this season, it’s possible to assume a team would be willing to offer him a one-year contract in July at or near the CBA maximum for the 2025-26 league year, which is just over $19 million. 

Then, as early as after the trade deadline in 2026, that same team could sign Rantanen to an 8-year extension at a more manageable cap-hit (but not too manageable – that will depend on what Mitch Marner signs for in July).  In a 1+8 scenario, the signing club would benefit from the lower long-term cap hit, and Rantanen wins with 9 years of high salary instead of 8, leveraging his peak earning power all the way through the end of his age 37 season instead of 36.

While it’s true the 8-year extension cannot be a condition of the 1-year deal or documented, practically speaking the parties could easily come to an unspoken understanding about their intent, with a plan to formalize negotiations in early 2026. Things like that frequently happen in the NHL.

If you’re a team like the Chicago Blackhawks (or perhaps a surprise other team — we’ll get to that later) with more than enough cap space to absorb the $19M one-year hit, this structure is a slam dunk. I could see Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson jumping at this opportunity, especially since it would also increase his chances of persuading Connor Bedard to commit to a long-term second contract, which the parties can sign this summer.

Structurally, Rantanen could engineer a 1+8 combo that pays him upwards of $35M in actual cash by July 1, 2026. This happens by securing a large signing bonus at the start of the 8-year extension on the heels of the massive one year deal for 25-26.  

There’s obviously some real risk here for Rantanen – a major injury, an extended fall-off in play, or another sort of negative event could adversely impact or even derail the extension – but insurance can mitigate that to some extent if he wants to pursue the extra cash.  

 I think a potential blocker here is that some agents might be hesitant to support this high risk negotiating approach — doing so risks the agent losing upwards of $3M in commissions (which unlike Rantanen, they can’t insure against as effectively) in exchange for pursuing an extra $350K or so in commissions from the extra contract year.

Of course, if he likes living in Raleigh and playing for the Canes, Rantanen may not want to delay signing there. He’ll want to make sure he can secure himself as much as their cap space as possible before they turn their focus to other internal and external targets or, perhaps, to moving him.  

Prediction

In the NHL, the most conservative scenario is often the likeliest one, but let’s optimize for fun here:

Carolina keeps Rantanen through the deadline, the Canes win the Cup, Rantanen wins the Conn Smythe, and then he pulls a Kawhi Leonard and leaves in a sign-and-trade. 

It’s hard to think of a better fit for a new team potentially named the Mammoth than a franchise forward nicknamed Moose.  And Utah‘s Ryan Smith is the type of bold operator, in both business (he recently sold the company he founded for $8 billion) and sports, that I can see buying into a proposal like what I’ve laid out.  Utah has the cap space and elite young forwards like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther (not to mention Clayton Keller) that should be able to entice Rantanen to give the Mammoth (or HC, or Outlaws) a serious look. 

And while it’s not a Shaun Michaels—Marty Jannetty level heel turn, one hopes Rantanen would appreciate the narrative possibilities of returning to familiar mountain terrain and Colorado’s division and reminding the Avalanche a few times a season what they chose to trade away. **

** I don’t think that’s the likely scenario. He’ll probably extend in Carolina by March for less than most expect (something like 8 years/100M with deferred compensation to lower the cap hit, and rights to TopGolf Helsinki). 

Explore More: Rantanen’s Contract: Insights from Carolina’s Former Capologist

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• Rantanen’s Contract: Insights from Carolina’s Former Capologist
• 5 things learned entering 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between United States & Canada

Mikko Rantanen’s next contract won’t just be about his talent—it’ll be about which team is willing to pay his asking price. With recent deals like Leon Draisaitl and William Nylander setting the market, Rantanen’s consistency and goal-scoring ability put him in line for a massive payday. The question is: can Carolina—or any contender—structure an offer that gets the deal done?

Competitors in the Free Agency Market

How critical is Carolina’s ability to offer the 8th year? As we saw with Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay was willing to pay the player’s initial asking amount ($63 million total) despite the inability to spread the dollars out over 8 years. We should safely assume that Tampa Bay wasn’t the only team willing to pay $63 million over 7 years either. Players of that caliber have little trouble finding bidders in the marketplace. 

Although every team must approach their negotiations with thorough research on the marketplace and well-supported arguments as to why a player should be paid a certain amount, sometimes a player will simply bank on one of 31 other teams making an outlandish offer. It happens all the time. Teams view a player at a certain value; however, once free agency hits, the marketplace speaks

Now, we can narrow the marketplace a bit by assuming that if Rantanen hits free agency, he will want to sign with a contender—a contender that will be close to or at the cap. So, there is some value in the 8th year but not enough for a team to give up the assets to replenish what Carolina gave up in acquiring Rantanen. If we assume that Rantanen is only going to sign with a contender, that gives those contending teams some leverage in their negotiations, possibly enough to offset the inability to offer an 8th year.

There will be plenty of teams—both contending and rebuilding—throwing cash at Rantanen. If Carolina wants to have a shot at extending Rantanen, they will have to accept that the marketplace is always full of irrational actors.

Contract Comparisons: Setting Rantanen’s Market

To that end, I’d expect that if Rantanen is ready to negotiate, his agent will be looking at William Nylander’s 8-year, $92 million contract as a starting point. That contract, however, took effect this season when the salary cap was at $88M, or 13.07% of the team’s salary cap. The 2025-26 cap will be $95.5 million, so I’d assume that Rantanen’s agent is going to be starting with a pure baseline assessment around 13.07% of $95.5 million or approximately $12.5 million. I would also assume that Rantanen’s agents are taking as gospel the most recent salary cap projections of $104M in 2026-27 and $113.5M in 2027-28, meaning they’ll expect some consideration to be given to the projected cap increases in their valuation of the player.

Let’s take a very cursory look at the winger market. Aside from Nylander, other relevant comparables would be Jonathan Huberdeau (8 x $10.50M) and David Pastrnak (8 x $11.25M). However, Rantanen’s career statistics (currently at around 90 points per season) outweigh those of his comparables, including Nylander. At the time Nylander signed his extension in January 2024, he was averaging 71 points per season and was amid a career season with a 120 points per season pace. By comparison, Rantanen is currently on pace for a 98-point season. It is Rantanen’s consistency, however, that I’d imagine his agents will be relying on for a premium; Rantanen put up 107 points in the year prior to his platform year (PY-1) and 105 points in his PY-2. Huberdeau is the only other comparable with similar consistency prior to signing.

I’d also expect that Rantanen’s agent will be arguing for a goal-scoring premium, as Rantanen produced 55 goals in his PY-2 and has seen 30+ goal seasons (and possibly 40+ goal seasons, depending on this year’s performance) over the past 3 seasons. As such, I can imagine a world where Rantanen will be asking for closer to $14 million as an anchoring point but also to reflect that Rantanen (in my opinion) is a better two-way player than Nylander, has won a Stanley Cup, and can score goals. Someone will be willing to pay that price, so it is on Carolina to figure out how to make a deal.

Where Carolina can negotiate is in the value of the later years of the contract. As we all know, 8-year contracts tend to be less valuable as the player ages. Nylander signed his 8-year deal at age 27 whereas Rantanen will be signing at age 28. Although the players are 6 months apart in age, I would expect there to be some concessions, which are, in fact, reflective in the marketplace.

For example, Huberdeau signed at age 29 and had similar career and platform year production compared to Nylander, but he earned $8 million less. True, Huberdeau signed his extension much earlier than Nylander, and thus Calgary likely sought and received a discount. However, I would argue that an additional discount was also built in to reflect the player’s signing age of 29. The 8th year in Huberdeau’s contract will—statistically speaking—be much less valuable than Nylander’s 8th year; Nylander will be age 35 in year 8 of his deal, whereas Huberdeau will be age 37. There is no doubt in my mind that Lewis Gross argued this age difference between Nylander and Huberdeau when negotiating his client’s deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I’d expect that Carolina would know exactly what strategy has been effective with Rantanen’s agents and what wasn’t, and, more importantly, where the parties stood prior to the trade. It would be superfluous to go through the same motions again and expect a different result. I would have already had dinner with Rantanen and his agent – not necessarily to talk business, but to make the player and the agent feel welcome in the organization. This type of relationship management is important to players and agents.

Structure-wise, there are plenty of tools available to Carolina where they can attempt to bridge a gap in dollars: the use of signing bonuses, leveraging state tax law, and deferred salary. 

Projecting Rantanen’s Next Deal

Armed with negotiables, I’d expect Carolina to start at somewhere around 8 x $12.5M ($100 million), but I would be prepared to go as high as 8 x $13M ($104 million), at least at this point in the season. If the agent is willing to bridge the gap with some favorable structure, including the use of deferred salary, it would be easier for me to venture into the $14M territory. Players of this caliber do not come around often, and Rantanen is the exact type of player that Carolina needs.

Let’s not forget that Carolina also has a safety valve—the trade deadline. If I weren’t certain a deal was getting done, I would be hammering the phones to see what the return might be to trade Rantanen (and his $4.625M cap hit) at the deadline. As such, Carolina has an artificial deadline in its corner, which could help to spur action on the agent’s part.

If I am Carolina, I am doing everything I can to get a deal done. Sure, there are going to be a lot of great players possibly hitting UFA at the end of the season, but none of them would be as good of a fit as Rantanen. There is no guarantee Mitchell Marner is going to be available, and, for me, he is not the fit that Carolina needs to get over the hump.

More must-reads:

• President Trump calls Team USA ahead of 4 Nations Final ‘to spur them on’ against Canada
• Does Mikko Rantanen need the Carolina Hurricanes?
• 5 things learned entering 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between United States & Canada

Is Bryce Young set to have a big season for the Carolina Panthers in 2025? The team made a bold move this week that seems to indicate they believe he will.

After a stellar career at Alabama, many NFL Draft pundits saw big things for Bryce Young at the next level. That is why the Carolina Panthers traded up to make him the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft. However, his rookie season in the league was an absolute disaster.

Related: Carolina Panthers predicted to cut bait with Pro Bowl talent

The whispers that he might be the latest big-time NFL Draft bust grew louder when he got off to another rough start in his sophomore season despite the hiring of QB guru Dave Canales to be the team’s head coach before the season. It is why he was benched early in the season in favor of journeyman Andy Dalton.

However, the youngster eventually proved deserving of a second chance and played better as the 2024 season progressed. Late in the season, he led the team to a pair of overtime victories. And ended on a high note by throwing for 251 yards and three TDs in a win over the Atlanta Falcons.

It seems that how Young performed late in the season was enough for the Panthers to decide that he is their undisputed starter next season.

• What is Bryce Young’s salary? Four years, $37.5 million

Carolina Panthers will not bring in QB to compete with Bryce Young in 2025

In a show of how much they believe in Bryce Young, the Carolina Panthers made a move to continue his development and forego a QB battle in 2025 training camp.

“Panthers and Andy Dalton reached an agreement on a two-year, $8 million deal that includes $6 million guaranteed. And has a max value of $10 million, per source,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported today. “Panthers QB Bryce Young has developed a close relationship with Dalton, and now the two continue to get to work together.”

If Carolina was unsure about the 23-year-old they could have brought in a veteran QB to compete with him in camp. Players like Daniel Jones, Gardner Minshew, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance could have all been possibilities. Instead, they chose to guarantee Dalton some solid money to continue to be a mentor to their young team leader.

Related: 2025 NFL Draft rumors reveal player Carolina Panthers would ‘love’ to land with No. 8 pick

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• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

First-year head coach Dave Canales helped the Carolina Panthers go from a two-win club to a team that won five games last season. It was a sizable step forward, and much of it was thanks to the positive development of Bryce Young, who improved his touchdown-to-interception ratio from 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to 15 and 9.

Yet, despite the step forward from the team as a whole, the Panthers still aren’t where they want to be. With the offseason right around the corner, the Panthers are being predicted to move on from a former Pro Bowl player.

Related: 1 bold prediction for every NFL team this offseason, including the Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers expected to release Miles Sanders

While the Carolina Panthers need to find ways to upgrade their roster, they can’t just add to the team; they’ll have to create some roster spots, too.

One potential option could be to release running back Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25 million contract in 2023 when Frank Reich was still the team’s head coach. Yet, Reich is long gone and Sanders fell to second-string running back duties under coach Dave Canales.

Now, The Athletic’s Joseph Person predicts the Panthers will move on from Sanders by cutting him from the roster this offseason.

Sanders will turn 28 before the 2025 season kicks off, but he had just 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns across 11 games and two starts.

Saving over $5 million by releasing a backup running back seems like a wise move for a team that wasn’t contending for a playoff spot last season. Doing so in an offseason where the 2025 NFL Draft class is rich with running back replacements comes with perfect timing.

Related: One NFL free agent every team, including the Carolina Panthers should pursue in 2025

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

The Carolina Panthers entered November with a 1-7 record, seemingly destined to have the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and potentially needing to replace Bryce Young. Carolina then finished the season on a 4-5 stretch, with Young playing well and opening the team up to a variety of options on draft day.

Entering the offseason, the Panthers still have one of the worst rosters in the NFL. Young doesn’t have a reliable receiving corps and Carolina had one of the worst NFL defenses in 2024. While free agency will offer some opportunities to improve the roster, this is a long-term build with glaring needs at multiple spots.

Related: 2025 NFL Draft order right now, Carolina panthers draft picks 2025

• Carolina Panthers draft needs 2025: EDGE, CB, WR, DT, LB, S

There will be several intriguing options for the Panthers assuming they stand pat with the 8th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan would add a top pass-catcher for young, in the mold of Drake London. If Carolina wants to improve its defense, defensive tackle Mason Graham, safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Jalon Walker are all top options. However, there’s another the team seems to want.

Related: 2025 NFL mock draft, see who Carolina Panthers pick

According to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, the Panthers would “love to end up with” Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson.

Johnson, age 2021, earned All-American honors as one of the best defensive backs in college football over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-2 defensive back also won Defensive MVP in the 2024 CFP National Championship Game and he was named a Freshman All-American in 2022.

Related: NFL cap space by team 2025, potential cap casualties for all 32 teams

Interestingly, Johnson has drawn an NFL comparison from Lance Zierlein to Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Injuries have been the biggest issue for Horn since entering the league and Johnson is coming off a season-ending turf toe injury in October.

In a best-case scenario, the Panthers could have an excellent cornerback tandem with length and physicality who could improve a passing defense that allowed the highest average QB rating (105.4) and the highest passing touchdown rate (6.6%) last season. If Johnson isn’t available, the Panthers are tentatively expected to draft an edge rusher.

Also Read:: NFL free agents 2025: NFL free agents by team this offseason

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing

The 2024 NFL season drew to a close with the Philadelphia Eagles decimating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Many key Eagles players from that championship-winning performance will be among the NFL free agents in 2025. It makes NFL free agency this offseason particularly intriguing, especially with a new Super Bowl champion.

Related: Top NFL free agents 2025, ranking 30 best players

Below, we’re taking a look at NFL free agents by team right now. Of note, these are not rankings of the free agents and instead just lists whose contracts are expiring this offseason. You can also find NFL free agents by position 2025.

NFL free agents 2025: NFL free agents by team this offseason

Here are the NFL free agents by team entering the offseason. All players are unrestricted free agents (UFAs) unless otherwise mentioned as a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) or Exclusive Rights Free Agent). Info via Spotrac.com.

Related: 2025 NFL Draft order right now, NFL Draft picks by team

NFL free agents by position 2025

Also Read:: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Offseason previews for best, worst NFL teams

More must-reads:

• Philadelphia Eagles sign running back who missed entire 2024 season with neck injury to back up Saquon Barkley
• NFL insider says Carolina Panthers panicked in free agency
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shockingly allows four-time Pro Bowl defensive stalwart to walk for nothing