CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Super Bowl is over. Bring on the NFL offseason (and the annual rite of spring that is pitchers and catchers reporting).
Legal tampering begins in four weeks, followed two days later by the official start to free agency on March 11. Fresh off their first playoff appearance in eight years, one of the Carolina Panthers’ first offseason tasks will be figuring which of their own guys they’re interested in keeping and at what price.
The Panthers have 18 unrestricted free agents, a list that includes three offensive linemen, two specialists and a 1,000-yard rusher. Outside of running back Rico Dowdle, there’s not a ton of star power in the group.
Still, there are players they’d like to have back — including punter Sam Martin and long snapper J.J. Jansen — and others expected to draw at least some of level of interest elsewhere.
In ranking the Panthers’ top free agents, The Athletic reached out to several veteran personnel executives around the league to get a gauge on how teams view them. Their sense: The majority of Carolina’s free agents won’t command more than minimum contracts.
That was the case last year when the biggest deals were signed by safety Xavier Woods (two years, $10.5 million from Tennessee) and cornerback Mike Jackson (two years, $10.5 million), the latter of whom proved to be a bargain for Carolina with four interceptions and a league-leading 19 pass breakups
Quarterback Andy Dalton, who re-signed with Carolina for two years and $8 million, was the only other Panthers free agent in 2025 to receive a deal with an AAV of more than $3 million. A year later, general manager Dan Morgan is talking about bringing in a young quarterback as Bryce Young’s backup.
On to the ’26 rankings, which don’t include receiver Jalen Coker, an exclusive rights free agent and someone the Panthers should extend:
1. RB Rico Dowdle
The former Dallas Cowboys back bet on himself by taking a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Panthers, then proceeded to cash in on nearly all those bonuses with his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Dowdle’s biggest games came in wins over the Miami Dolphins and the Cowboys when Chuba Hubbard was out with a calf injury. Dowdle rushed for 206 yards against Miami, which tied for the second-highest total in team history, then went for 183 the following week against his former team. But Dowdle’s workload dipped when Hubbard returned, as did his production. And the 27-year-old made it clear in January he wants to go to a team where he doesn’t have to share carries. Dowdle’s market should be stronger than last year: Two of the personnel officials said there’s a big gap between Dowdle and the Panthers’ other UFAs.
2. C Cade Mays
The Panthers view center as a priority, and the answer might be on their (2025) roster. Mays, a sixth-round pick in 2022, started a career-high 12 games and allowed pressures on 2.7 percent of his pass-blocking snaps (per Pro Football Focus), his lowest rate in four seasons. Morgan has invested heavily in the offensive line since becoming GM two years ago, and it’s been money well spent. He’ll have to spend more — at center and left tackle after Ikem Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers also have several needs on defense. But Morgan, Dave Canales and Brandt Tilis have a history of locking up homegrown players who handle their business on and off the field. Mays could be next.
3. OLB D.J. Wonnum
There was optimism Wonnum would build on his strong finish in 2024, when he provided a spark to the league’s worst defense with four sacks after missing the first half of the season. But Wonnum was held without a sack for the first 13 games last season before recording two in a loss at New Orleans. He finished with three and has just seven in two seasons in Carolina, one fewer than his 2023 total in Minnesota. A longtime scout for another NFC team said the 28-year-old hasn’t looked the same since his quad surgery (and complications stemming from it). The Panthers used their second- and third-round picks on edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen last year, and will look to upgrade the position again this offseason.
DJ Wonnum totaled three sacks this season, including one against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks. (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
4. LB Christian Rozeboom
The Panthers signed Rozeboom to a one-year deal last winter to play special teams and back up Josey Jewell. But when Jewell was released in July so he could focus on his recovery from post-concussion symptoms, Rozeboom was thrust into a starting role. The former Ram graded out well against the run, leading the Panthers with 122 tackles over 15 starts. He wasn’t as dependable in coverage, and Ejiro Evero began taking him off the field in obvious passing downs. But after a shoulder injury to Trevin Wallace, Rozeboom played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in the last four games, including the wild-card loss to the Rams. The sense is the Panthers would bring Rozeboom back at the right price, while trying to limit his exposure in passing situations.
5. S Nick Scott
Scott was one of only two returnees to a remade safety room, and fans were clamoring in training camp for rookie Lathan Ransom to play alongside free-agent acquisition Tre’von Moehrig. But Scott started every game and ended up second behind Rozeboom with a career-high 109 tackles. Like Rozeboom, Scott’s pass-defense metrics weren’t as strong. But Scott drew praise from Canales for his communication and leadership skills. While the Panthers are interested in finding a rangy safety to complement Moehrig, Scott could be back in a rotational role.
6. C/G Austin Corbett
After two injury-plagued seasons, it looked like Corbett again would miss significant time after leaving a Week 2 loss at Arizona with a knee injury. But Corbett was sidelined only four games with a sprained MCL and finished with 11 starts — six at guard and five at center. Corbett, who turns 31 in September, arrived in Charlotte with a Super Bowl ring and took pride in helping the Panthers return to the playoffs. Corbett, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract last offseason, could return as a valuable depth piece.
7. P Sam Martin
The Panthers moved on from aging punter Johnny Hekker last offseason and replaced him with Martin, who turns 36 this month, just three weeks after Hekker’s 36th birthday. Martin’s yards per punt (47.2) and net average (40.5) were only slightly better than Hekker’s numbers (46.8 and 40.1) with Tennessee. But Martin was much more adept at placing the ball: His 27 punts inside the 20 ranked ninth among qualified punters. Re-signing the former Appalachian State punter on another veteran minimum deal seems reasonable.
8. OL Brady Christensen
Christensen’s 2025 season ended in October when he ruptured his Achilles during a Week 9 loss to Buffalo, bad timing for a pending free agent who agreed to a one-year deal last winter. Christensen’s value is his ability to play every position along the line. The former BYU All-American turns 30 in September.
9. OL Yosh Nijman
The 6-7, 314-pound Nijman passes the eye test, and the former undrafted free agent from Virginia Tech has the requisite length for an NFL tackle. The Panthers signed him two years ago to be a swing tackle behind Taylor Moton and Ekwonu. Nijman, 30, started three games in ’24 and four last season, and replaced Ekwonu early in the playoff game against L.A.