The Carolina Panthers made plenty of headlines this offseason. However, no move carried more weight than their decision to hand edge rusher Jaelan Phillips a four-year, $120 million contract with $80 million guaranteed.
Now, one national analyst is signaling just how important that investment could be.
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports listed Phillips among his most important players for the 2026 season. He focused on players whose performances could dramatically alter the trajectory of their teams and, in some cases, the entire league.
Carolina Panthers are expecting Jaelan Phillips to deliver after massive contract
Phillips certainly fits that description.
“There's never been any question about Phillips' ability. It's all about his health. Last year, he played in all 17 games and posted an 18.8% pressure rate, fourth-highest in the NFL (min. 300 pass-rush snaps), but only five sacks. After signing him to a four-year, $120 million deal, the Panthers hope he can stay healthy and turn more of those pressures into sacks.”
This isn't just a Panthers storyline. The NFC South is pretty wide open as Carolina enters 2026 as the defending division champions. Last season, they were winning games with defensive lineman Derrick Brown and an elite secondary doing the heavy lifting. The pass rush was terrible, and they still made the playoffs at 8-9.
Add a healthy, productive Phillips to that equation, and the defense gets a different ceiling entirely. That's what makes this so notable.
A team that was annoying to play against without a pass rusher now has one.
An 18.8 percent pressure rate is incredible. If Phillips converts those pressures into sacks and becomes the disruptive force Carolina believes he can be, the Panthers' defense could take a huge step forward. Teams would have to account for him on every snap, which would create opportunities for others across the unit.
But if he doesn't deliver, questions about the massive contract will only grow louder.
That's why Pereles' inclusion of Phillips among the NFL's most important players feels appropriate. Few defenders enter 2026 carrying this combination of talent, expectations, financial investment, and potential impact on a division race. For Panthers fans, that's also what makes him must-watch television.
The pressure is on. And judging by the attention he's receiving across the league, everyone will be watching to see how he responds.
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