Denzel Perryman not backing away from Tom Brady challenge

Denzel Perryman is relishing the prospect of coming up against Tom Brady twice a season after joining the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

There is a lot to like about the signing of Denzel Perryman. The Carolina Panthers identified the player as a potential long-term successor for Luke Kuechly in free agency after an eye-catching career with the Los Angeles Chargers and if he can hit the ground running, it’s going to benefit a young and ever-improving defense considerably.

Perryman will be tasked with solidifying the second level with his customary aggressiveness and enthusiasm that is sure to make him an instant fan favorite. The Panthers need him firing on all cylinders and if he can reach the expectations required, it should help the likes of Jermaine Carter and Shaq Thompson alongside him.

One thing, in particular, Perryman is looking forward to is coming up against Tom Brady twice a season. The quarterback transformed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a short space of time, enabling the organization to go on a memorable playoff run that ended with a convincing Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carolina Panthers LB Denzel Perryman is relishing the Tom Brady challenge in 2021.

Perryman came up against Brady in 2020 on the Chargers, a game Los Angeles was beaten 38-31 after failing to come through down the stretch.

The former second-round pick gained a quarterback hit and a pass defended during the contest and speaking to the NSPN NEXGEN Sports podcast, it’s clear he is relishing the prospect of facing the legendary signal-caller twice a season.

"“It’s important not to make it bigger than what it is. Everyone knows what Tom (Brady) can do but at the end of the day it’s all about Xs and Os and they get paid to make plays the same as us. Playing him twice a year will be a challenge but that’s something I don’t back away from and everyone needs to step up.”"

This sort of mentality is something the Panthers desperately need.

The free-agent signing of Tahir Whitehead was nothing short of a disaster in the immediate aftermath of Kuechly’s retirement following the 2019 season, which turned a once-proud positional group in Carolina into one of weakness last time around.

Perryman could change that in an instant.

He is a big hitter who plays every down as if it’s his last. So providing there are no further problems from an injury standpoint, the Miami product is going to be a significant asset.

The Buccaneers are heavily favored to make a Super Bowl return in 2021 after miraculously keeping around every starter from their championship triumph despite the salary-cap reduction.

Brady played a substantial role in this and it’s going to take a big effort from another team to stop him from getting his hands on an eighth ring.

Carolina’s ambitions are less lofty. But if Perryman and others can make their presence felt from the outset, then it would be a huge surprise to see things regress from a results standpoint.

Brady might be the benchmark all teams are aspiring to once again.

However, if Perryman and the Panthers keep developing steadily and picking up some notable wins along the way, then it might not be too much longer before they enter the postseason discussion after failing to achieve this feat since 2017.