The Carolina Panthers laid their cards out on the table almost immediately after the 2025 campaign ended with a wild-card playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. General manager Dan Morgan wants to improve the pass rush, and he plans to be aggressive with this project further ahead than anyone expected.
How the Panthers go about this is anyone's guess. Morgan could use another high-end pick on an edge rusher, despite spending his Day 2 selections last year on Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. Still, if he's serious about Carolina moving into a win-now model, the front-office leader needs to find a productive veteran in free agency.
There isn't much money available for that right now. This will change once Morgan and Brandt Tilis make the desired sacrifices, but the Panthers still need to be prudent. That led one writer to steer the franchise away from one of the biggest names set to hit the market.
Carolina Panthers urged to avoid Trey Hendrickson splash in free agency
Zach Roberts from Sports Illustrated thought making a bold bid for Trey Hendrickson was a step too far for the Panthers right now. They are not one piece away from making the Super Bowl picture, and with financial flexibility restricted, Morgan should turn his attention to other options.
"The Panthers need an edge rusher badly, and Trey Hendrickson has been one of the most productive over the last few seasons. The problem is that he's not on the same level as Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby, but he's going to get similar money. The Panthers aren't flush with cash. He's also over 31. He doesn't fit the timeline for the Panthers, so they need someone cheaper, younger, and with more control. Maybe the answer does lie in free agency, but it doesn't lie with Hendrickson."Zach Roberts
This seems like a fair assessment. Hendrickson encountered some injury problems in 2025, but he's still going to command a lot of money on the open market when he inevitably departs the Cincinnati Bengals. He'll also probably want to finish out his playing career on a contender, which would place the Panthers pretty far down his list of possibilities if they were interested.
Hendrickson led the league in sacks in 2023 and 2024. His previous accomplishments need no introduction, but the Panthers should still have enough reasons to pause. And his possible fit within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base scheme also factors into the equation.
Morgan will have contingencies in place. But the current salary-cap situation and the Panthers' gradual upward trajectory make this dream a potential non-starter.