Carolina Panthers 2026 Free Agency Tracker: Latest Signings, Losses, News, and Rumors

The Carolina Panthers are officially in free agency. The legal tampering window is open, and teams across the sport are eligible to make splash deals. They can't sign deals until Wednesday, and while these contract reports aren't fully locked in, it's rare for anything to fall apart after this stage.

However, the Panthers briefly seemed to have a deal in place last year with Milton Williams, who ended up with the New England Patriots, so anything can happen. We will keep you fully updated with all the latest information.

Latest signings

First and foremost, the Panthers agreed with Jaelan Phillips on a stunning $120 million deal. He's set to be here for the next four years, hopefully finally bolstering that pass rush that has struggled so much in the last few years.

The #Panthers have agreed to bring back cornerback Akayleb Evans on a one-year deal, a league source confirms. @MikeGarafolo had the news first.

Evans played 17 games in 2025 and was a fixture on Carolina's special teams units, logging 37.7% of all ST snaps.
— Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) March 9, 2026

Secondly, the Panthers also signed cornerback Akayleb Evans. He was a crucial special teamer and depth cornerback, and he's back on a one-year deal. The terms were not revealed, but they're likely to be fairly insignificant. He played in Jaycee Horn's absence at times, including on the final drive of the season for the Panthers in their playoff loss to the Rams.

Latest rumors

As of now, there aren't many rumors circulating around the Panthers. Before the legal tampering window opened, they were heavily rumored as the favorites to sign Devin Lloyd, the Jacksonville Jaguars star linebacker. With the Phillips contract, that seems highly unlikely.

And with the Phillips deal, it is highly unlikely the Panthers can even afford any other notable free agents, so don't expect to see them pop up in pursuit of the stars. That said, we'll keep you posted here with every rumor.

Losses

Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) runs on the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Panthers are going to lose several players this offseason, though none of them are true NFL superstars. As of now, in the first foray into the wild free agency frenzy, the Panthers have lost just one player: Cade Mays.

C Cade Mays to the Lions on a three-year, $25 million deal with $14M guaranteed, per league source.
Panthers need a center.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 9, 2026

The Lions were a big contender to steal Mays away from the Panthers, and they did just that. Mays agreed to a deal worth $25 million over three years. $14 million is guaranteed, and now the Panthers have an official, glaring hole at center.

Rico Dowdle, Christian Rozeboom, and Nick Scott, among several others, remain on the open market for now. We will update this article with any more information on those players, should they leave or re-sign, whenever it comes available.

None of them top the market in their respective positions, so it may be a while before any movement occurs. That said, with Kenneth Walker's signing, Dowdle may be in higher demand soon. And once Tyler Linderbaum lands somewhere, Mays might be as well.