The Panthers have secured one of their top players. Carolina has reached a four-year agreement with defensive tackle Derrick Brown, the team announced on Friday. Initial reports suggest Brown’s contract is valued at $96 million, with $63 million guaranteed.
Brown, who will turn 26 this month, was selected as the No. 7 pick in 2020. He has become a crucial part of the Panthers’ defense, starting every game for the team over the past two seasons.
In 2023, he played in 89 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps and earned his first Pro Bowl appearance by recording 103 total tackles, setting a new record for a defensive lineman.
Additionally, he made seven tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks, six passes defensed, and an interception last season.
With one year left on his rookie contract after the Panthers exercised his fifth-year option last spring, Brown was set to become a free agent soon. Despite changes in the team’s leadership this offseason, Carolina has chosen to keep Brown on board for the long term.
In his 66 career games, Brown has accumulated 28 tackles for loss, 48 quarterback hits, 8.0 sacks, 21 passes defensed, and two interceptions. Now, he joins the ranks of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL.
