Moe Moton of The Bleacher Report named every team's most crucial extension candidate ahead of 2026. For the Carolina Panthers, he chose cornerback Mike Jackson Sr.
He’s on a base salary of $4.25 million, outplaying a $10.5 million deal he signed last year, and reportedly eyeing an extension when this contract runs out. According to Spotrac's projection, it could be a three-year, $40.21 million deal at $13.4 million per season.
Jackson finished the 2025 season with 19 pass breakups, leading the entire NFL and tying a franchise record. He also secured five interceptions, an 85.8 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus that ranked first among all cornerbacks, and an overall 79.1 PFF grade that put him fourth at the position.Â
Mike Jackson Sr.'s contract situation is something the Carolina Panthers can't get wrong
And when Carolina went to the wild card and nearly knocked off the Los Angeles Rams, Jackson had four more passes defensed to cap the year.
If Jackson runs back a season anywhere close to 2025, his market value will get expensive. He's 29 now, entering the final year of his deal, and the Panthers' depth at cornerback outside of Jaycee Horn isn't exactly intimidating. Akayleb Evans, Robert Rochell, Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton, and fourth-round rookie Will Lee III are the names behind the starters.
Lee is the long game. The Panthers drafted him to cover their bases, knowing Jackson would eventually price himself out. But right now, he is still here, still performing at an elite level, and the team stands to gain an additional $3.24 million in cap savings in 2026 if an extension gets done.
The question of whether general manager Dan Morgan pulls the trigger on that deal is separate from the question of whether Jackson has earned it. He has.
Now, some will wave the Linsanity flag.Â
Jackson was a journeyman for years, a fifth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 who barely saw the field his first three seasons, and only started clicking after the Panthers acquired him via a bargain trade from the Seattle Seahawks for essentially nothing.Â
Still, Jackson and Horn combined for nine interceptions and 20-plus passes defended as a tandem in 2025. That's a lockdown duo.
With Jaelan Phillips now on the edge and Zakee Wheatley back at safety, Jackson's job in 2026 should actually be easier than last year, and last year he was first in the NFL.
If he replicates even 80 percent of that production, the Panthers' secondary is going to be a problem for opposing offenses. And the price of not getting a deal done before free agency is one Carolina probably can't afford to pay.
The $40 million makes sense. So does getting it done now.
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