The Carolina Panthers are hoping their Week 18 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't fall short. Head coach Dave Canales' squad is within touching distance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and there is just no telling what getting over the line will do for this ambitious project moving forward.
However, general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis will already be devising a plan to attack the upcoming offseason. This starts with decisions about the team's pending free agents.
The Panthers have 23 players who are free agents in some capacity. Morgan and Tilis have only $28.19 million in available salary-cap space right now, though that could change with restructures or early releases. Some difficult decisions are coming, but fans are confident that Carolina finally has the correct structure in place to keep things trending up.
Before then, here is a list of Carolina's pending free agents before the team's make-or-break showdown at Raymond James Stadium.
Every Carolina Panthers player entering their final game under contract in Week 18
Unrestricted free agents
Unrestricted free agents are veteran players with four or more years of experience who are free to sign elsewhere if the Panthers cannot agree to terms before free agency. Some established stars are looking for a new deal, which also includes running back Rico Dowdle after his sensational campaign in Carolina this season.
Player & Position | 2025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
D.J. Wonnum (OLB) | $6.25 million |
Yosh Nijman (OT) | $4 million |
Cade Mays (OL) | $3.4 million |
Austin Corbett (OL) | $3 million |
Brady Christensen (OL) | $2.78 million |
Rico Dowdle (RB) | $2.75 million |
Christian Rozeboom (LB) | $2.5 million |
Hunter Renfrow (WR) | $2.22 million |
Sam Martin (P) | $1.6 million |
David Moore (WR) | $1.42 million |
JJ. Jansen (LS) | $1.42 million |
Nick Scott (S) | $1.33 million |
Isaiah Simmons (LB/S) | $1.17 million |
Damarri Mathis (CB) | $1.1 million |
Akayleb Evans (CB) | $1.1 million |
D'Anthony Bell (S) | $1.1 million |
LaBryan Ray (DL) | $1.03 million |
Exclusive rights free agents
The Panthers also have three exclusive rights free agents this year. These are players with two or fewer years of league experience. Morgan can extend offers to them, which will prevent them from negotiating wth other teams. And they have a no-brainer candidate for precisely that in wide receiver Jalen Coker.
Player & Position | 2025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
Jalen Coker (WR) | $877,500 |
Demani Richardson (S) | $877,500 |
Brycen Tremayne (WR) | $840,000 |
Restricted free agents
Restricted free agents have accumulated three years of NFL experience. If the Panthers want to keep them on the books, they must tender an offer to prevent them from signing for another club. These tender points are based on the draft pick allocation and the salary cap. Carolina has three players in this category.
Player & Position | 2025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
Thomas Incoom (EDGE) | $1.03 million |
James Mitchell (TE) | $1.03 million |
Claudin Cherelus (LB) | $900,000 |
It will be fascinating to see how the Panthers approach Morgan's third offseason at the helm. They are right on the cusp of something special, and another successful period of recruitment and retention could be enough for dreams of winning the Super Bowl to return after years in the proverbial wilderness.
Time will tell on that, but the Panthers are in good hands at long last.