Panthers linked to 2x Super Bowl champ George Karlaftis in surprising Chiefs trade proposal

The Panthers have been urged to consider a trade for George Karlaftis.

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) greets fans while leaving the field after a 2025 AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have a promising rookie edge rusher duo. After drafting Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in the second and third rounds of the NFL draft, the future is much brighter in that department. The present looks better, too, but they may need an adjustment period before they can really be impactful.

Despite the Kansas City Chiefs picking up George Karlaftis' fifth-year option, the two-time Super Bowl champion is still one of their easiest and best trade assets. If he is traded, Last Word on Sports' Anthony Palacios believes the Panthers should be one of the interested parties.

Palacios likes what the Panthers have done to rebuild their defense this offseason, but he thinks they could stand to use another player in the front seven. He praised the interior addition of Tershawn Wharton to go opposite Derrick Brown, who is finally healthy, but thinks there could stand to be an edge player added.

Given how solid Karlaftis has been, a trade would be a surprise. He still has two years of team control left and he has 24.5 sacks in 49 career games. He's been a very good player, and any trade would also be pretty expensive as a result.

Before the draft, this might've been something the Panthers were interested in. Now, after spending two early draft picks on edge rushers they feel strongly about, they're less likely to make any move for an edge. Plus, they're not very likely to spring for such a potentially costly move, either.

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