CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Star defensive tackle Derrick Brown is staying in Carolina after agreeing to a four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Panthers.
Brown, the team's first-round pick in 2020, was coming off a season that saw him set an NFL record for tackles by a defensive lineman with 103 stops. He was entering the final year of his rookie contract. Brown was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2023.
"He plays hard," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said. "I mean, and I've said it before, but probably the most impressive thing that he does for a man that big, 340-plus pounds, to run down the field, play hard every down. He's making plays 40 yards down the field. He's really, he's a heck of a player."
The former first-round pick played 89% of the team's defensive snaps last season and played at least 85% of the snaps in every game after Carolina's bye week. Brown has been stellar on and off the field for Carolina, as he was the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2022.
It's been a busy offseason for Carolina's reworked front office, with new general manager Dan Morgan signing several veterans to bolster the team's offensive and defensive lines. Among those veterans was Rock Hill native Jadeveon Clowney.
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