The Carolina Panthers let D.J. Wonnum walk in free agency after an underwhelming two years with the club. Much of that stemmed from health problems, but the edge rusher was determined to make general manager Dan Morgan pay for his lack of confidence.
So far, he's well on course to achieve this objective.
While the Detroit Lions' secondary has drawn deserved criticism this season, their defensive front is a real bright spot. Wonnum is a big reason why, and he's been on a tear of late, recording five sacks in his last three contests.
D.J. Wonnum is thriving in Detroit after expected Carolina Panthers exit
Wonnum looks healthy. He is generating significant pressure off the edge and clearly benefiting from playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson. It's still early, but the South Carolina product is showing the sort of form the Panthers envisioned when they brought him into the franchise.
Sadly, he's doing that elsewhere. But the Panthers had no real option other than to let him take his chances elsewhere.
The 2020 fourth-round pick missed the first half of 2024 with injury and other complications. Wonnum flashed when he returned, offering hope that more could be on the way with a full offseason.
That wasn't the case.
Wonnum notched just three sacks in 2025. His inability to set the edge on running plays became an ongoing frustration. There were brief moments of high-quality output, but it was nowhere near consistent enough.
Carolina Panthers shouldn't regret letting D.J. Wonnum walk
The Lions saw something in Wonnum they could salvage. After getting a couple of games to transition into his role, he's now thriving. He was sensational during Detroit's convincing Week 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals, terrorizing veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from start to finish.
This is an immensely positive start for Wonnum. But the Panthers shouldn't have any regrets about letting him go.
They signed Jaelan Phillips for big money in free agency, who looks the part. Patrick Jones II is back from injury and playing well, especially against tthe run. Even though Nic Scourton is out for the year with a torn ACL, Princely Umanmielen is starting to come of age after some early growing pains.
The Panthers had no more use for Wonnum. He was an intriguing signing who did well in Brian Flores' blitz-happy defense in Minnesota, but it was clear from the start that he wasn't going to have a long career in Carolina.
That's just the way it goes sometimes. But if Wonnum keeps up this exceptional start in Detroit, he may have found a long-term home on the NFC North club with a much bigger salary than the $2.96 million he's currently getting.
But for the Panthers, they should be pretty comfortable with what they have.
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