Feb. 14, 2026, 8:01 a.m. ET

The Carolina Panthers took a real step forward in 2025. They clinched their first playoff berth since 2017, captured their first NFC South title since 2015 and nearly went on to knock off one of this year’s Super Bowl favorites.

And in order to build on and sustain their recent success, the players who helped bring about that progress should be kept around.

Here are four free agents the Panthers must retain going into 2026 . . .

WR Jalen Coker

Coker has emerged as the No. 2 option in the passing game following his sparkling 134-yard receiving performance in the wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. So there’s no doubt that the Panthers will want the former undrafted signee back next season.

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The only question is if Coker, an exclusive rights free agent, will be locked into a one-year qualifying offer at the league minimum or locked up with a multi-year deal. If Carolina chooses the latter, they could be getting quite a discount on the ascending 24-year-old.

OT Yosh Nijman

The Panthers should’ve already had designs of keeping Nijman, who’s proven to be a valuable swing tackle, into 2026. But the devastating knee injury to starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu might’ve made those designs more concrete.

Ekwonu sustained a torn patellar tendon on the second offensive series of that playoff defeat—leaving his upcoming campaign, and perhaps his long-term future with the organization, in doubt. While Nijman might be a bandage on the blindside, he’d at least give the Carolina offense some insurance at one of the most important positions in football.

OL Brady Christensen

Speaking of value and insurance, you’ll be hard pressed to find a hog molly as versatile as Christensen. Over his five NFL seasons, the 2021 third-round pick has recorded snaps at every position on the offensive line.

Although he’s coming off an Achilles rupture, which shortened his 2025 campaign to eight games, Christensen can bring back some familiarity and flexibility to a unit that’s hoping to take a substantial step forward.

C Cade Mays

Continuity is key, and Mays has carved out a nice home for himself in front of quarterback Bryce Young. But will he stay there?

Carolina could do a little better here if they decide to splurge a bit this offseason, whether it’s spending some cap space on a Tyler Linderbaum or using a high draft pick. Mays, however, has been more than capable of manning the middle in forming a formidable interior alongside guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt.

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