Why the Panthers Could But Won't Regret Jaelan Phillips’s Massive Contract

It was another aggressive offseason for Carolina Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan. One of his first moves was to address the club’s inefficient pass rush (again). One year earlier, he signed Patrick Jones II (Vikings) and used the draft to grab Nic Scourton (2-Texas &M) and Princely Umanmielen (3-Mississippi). Scourton tied for the team lead albeit with five sacks, Jones missed all but four games, and Umanmielen (1.5 sacks) didn’t have much of an impact.

Dan Morgan wasted little time signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips

This time around, Morgan went after another veteran pass rusher in early March, this time with a better resume. He signed Jaelan Phillips away from the Philadelphia Eagles to the tune of four years and $120 million—with $80 million of that guaranteed (via Spotrac).

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report put together a list of 10 big offseason moves in 2026, and how they could go wrong. In terms of the Panthers inking Phillips to a hefty contract, he certainly understands the reasoning. “A rebuilding team that struggled to generate pressure defensively last season,” explained Gagnon, “was looking for a game-changer on that side of the ball in its quest to further support hopeful franchise quarterback Bryce Young.”

Panthers’ pass-rushing problems have been an issue for years

Gagnon’s statement regarding Carolina’s struggles in terms of the pass rush in 2025 is true, but lacks a little statistical context. This has not been a one-year issue for this club. It’s important to know that dating back to 2023, no team in the league has totaled fewer sacks than the Panthers (89). They finished with 30 quarterback traps this past season, down from 32 sacks in 2024. In ‘23, Carolina was dead last in the NFL with just 27 sacks.

Put that into perspective and the Denver Broncos, who have led the league in QB traps each of the past two seasons, have racked up an impressive 131 sacks in their last 34 regular-season contests.

So according to Gagnon, this is how Carolina’s defensive investment could potentially backfire. “Phillips is due to count $32.5 million against the salary cap in 2027, and there’s really no painless way for the Panthers to bail on this in the next three years.”

Is there a downside to Carolina's addition of pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips?

Considering that we’re talking about a 27-year-old,” added Gagnon, “with 28 total sacks and zero All-Pro or Pro Bowl nods in five good-not-great seasons, there’s a damn good chance Carolina regrets that.”

Phillips posted a career-high eight sacks during his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He followed that up with seven sacks the following year. After not missing a game during his first two years in the league, he was out for a combined 22 contests from 2023-24.

In 2025, Phillips began the year in South Florida but was traded during the season to Philadelphia. Including the Birds’ playoff clash with the 49ers, the five-year pro was an 18-game starter. He finished with a combined 53 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and four passes defensed. Phillips figures to make the promising Scourton a bigger factor in 2026, and that’s worth the investment alone.

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