The Carolina Panthers should avoid this one player in NFL free agency.
The Carolina Panthers definitely have some issues to address this offseason, and perhaps none are bigger than the gaping hole in their pass rush.
The Panthers totaled just 30 sacks in 2025, which ranked toward the bottom of the NFL for the second straight year.
Last offseason, Carolina added free agents like Pat Jones and Tershawn Wharton while also drafting Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in an attempt to repair its pass rush, but to no avail.
Now, after winning the NFC South, the Panthers need to get serious. They are on the cusp of contention, and it's time for them to start making some big moves.
Fortunately for Carolina, this is a great offseason for teams that need edge rushers. There are a ton of them available in free agency, and this upcoming draft class is also teeming with talent at the position.
But there is one well-known player the Panthers should absolutely avoid viewing as a solution: Jaelan Phillips.
Phillips his hitting the open market next week after splitting the 2025 campaign between the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, playing his first full season since 2022 (hint No. 1).
Jaelan Phillips. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.The 26-year-old posted 53 tackles, five sacks and 14 quarterback hits this past season, managing a very solid 77.1 pass-rushing grade at Pro Football Focus.
No, the numbers weren't fantastic, but Phillips is definitely a decent player who could be on the verge of a breakout.
But Carolina shouldn't be the team to test that possibility.
The Panthers need proven help at edge rusher. They really can't afford to take a risk on a player with a torn Achilles and a torn ACL under his belt. Especially not at his projected $17.3 million-per-year contract (via Spotrac).
A former first-round pick, Phillips entered the league with the Dolphins in 2021 and racked up 8.5 sacks during his rookie campaign. He then tallied 61 tackles, seven sacks and 25 quarterback hits in his second season and was on pace for the best year of his career in 2022 before the Achilles injury.
Phillips then tore his ACL the following year.
When healthy, there is no question that Phillips is an asset, but Carolina simply cannot take such a big gamble in its current position. Especially not with so many other good pass rushers available this spring.
The Panthers should let Phillips sign with a team with more of an appetite for risk.
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