The Carolina Panthers may have made a big mistake here.
The Carolina Panthers struck big at the outset of free agency, landing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips on a four-year, $120 million contract featuring $80 million in guarantees.
The Panthers needed help with their pass rush, and they didn't waste any time finding it. Kudos on that end. But was signing Phillips at a $30 million AAV really the right move?
Phillips split the 2025 campaign between the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, finishing with 53 tackles, five sacks and 14 quarterback hits. He also registered a solid 77.1 pass-rushing grade at Pro Football Focus.
Decent numbers? Sure. Worth the money Carolina handed him? Probably not, especially not when you factor in his injury history.
Phillips was originally selected by the Dolphins with the 18th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He had a very impressive rookie campaign, totaling 42 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He followed that up with 61 tackles and seven sacks in 2022.
Then, the injuries hit.
Phillips tore his Achilles midway through the 2023 season, and the following year, he suffered a torn ACL.
Yes, the 26-year-old returned to play 17 games in 2025, but there is no question that his medical record is concerning.
Jaelan Phillips. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Plus, Phillips is not an elite pass rusher, even though the Panthers are paying him like one. It's hard to really get behind doling out $30 million annually to an edge who has never even logged double-digit sacks.
I understand that the University of Miami product flashed significant potential in his earlier years, even racking up 25 quarterback hits in 2022. But while the production has been decent, this seems like a classic overpay.
The biggest problem is that the Panthers really couldn't afford a bad contract. Not that any team can, but Carolina is just starting to build something special. The last thing it needs is an albatross to weigh it down.
There were plenty of more affordable pass rushers available in free agency, and this upcoming NFL Draft is chock full of talent at the position.
The Panthers probably would have been better off pursuing a more conservative route rather than putting all of their eggs in the Phillips basket and potentially harming their salary cap situation long term.
It's not even like Carolina hedged its bets here. That's a whole lot of guaranteed money, and it's for a player who has merely been decent to good; not great.
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