The Carolina Panthers don't have much spare salary-cap space after so many blockbuster moves this offseason. General manager Dan Morgan is now firmly focused on the 2026 NFL Draft, but one league analyst believes there is still a free agent looking for work who could help their cause.
Morgan has addressed the edge-rushing room over the last two years. Patrick Jones II, Nic Scourton, and Princely Umanmielen all arrived in 2025. The Panthers weren't done this time around, splashing the cash on Jaelan Phillips on a four-year, $120 million deal with $80 million guaranteed.
Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report doesn't think Morgan should stop there. And the writer had an unlikely reunion with a player who enjoyed one fantastic season in Carolina.
Carolina Panthers touted as Haason Reddick landing spot, which no longer makes much sense
Haason Reddick may not have hit similar heights in recent years. Even so, Davenport believes this could provide the Panthers with another experienced, capable presence coming off the edge as they move into win-now mode.
"After last year's surprise playoff run, by the time Carolina goes on the board at pick No. 19 this year's top edge-rusher prospects in the draft will be long gone.
"It has been a while since Haason Reddick was a force off the edge—his last 10-sack season came with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. However, the 31-year-old had four such seasons in a row with three teams from 2020-2023, including 68 stops and 11 sacks in his lone season with the Panthers in 2021."
Reddick joined the Panthers in 2021 free agency, linking up with his old college coach, Matt Rhule. While Carolina struggled overall, the player's partnership with edge rusher Brian Burns was nothing short of prolific, emerging as a legitimate shining light amid the almost constant doom and gloom. That didn't go unnoticed, and he joined the Philadelphia Eagles the following year.
After 27 sacks in two seasons, Reddick was traded to the New York Jets. That marriage didn't go nearly as well. He gained 2.5 sacks in 71 percent of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive snaps last season, which indicates his powers are waning. And the fact that he is still sitting on the market at this stage of the offseason speaks volumes.
Considering how Reddick has been a money-first guy in recent years, he's not going to play for free. Couple this with the options already at Carolina's disposal, and this suggestion doesn't seem all that likely.
Most Panthers fans would have approved of this return a couple of years ago. Things have changed a lot since then.