Few clubs spent as much money as the Carolina Panthers did in free agency this offseason. It seemingly wasn't enough to cash to address one glaring vulnerability, though: the safety position opposite standout Tre'von Moehrig.
Barring a surprising turn of events, Nick Scott figures to start. He presumably inked a third straight one-year contract with the Panthers in March to build on his and the collective momentum from last season. We just watched him play a meaningful role in snapping the franchise's near-decade playoff drought and winning its first NFC South title since 2015 after all.
However, the fact that Carolina experimented with Chau Smith-Wade, a cornerback by trade, during their mandatory minicamp doesn't exactly exude confidence, to say the least. Quite the opposite, actually; it's a sign the coaching staff isn't set on rolling with Scott.
Panthers raise questions about Nick Scott with Chau Smith-Wade experiment
The Panthers' secondary is a strong suit, yet as currently constructed, Scott's the weak link. That's not necessarily a knock on him, considering he's proven capable of handling a full-time workload. It's a crowded group, which is why the 2019 seventh-round pick appears to be fighting for his job in the first place.
Undrafted second-year corner Corey Thornton has reportedly made waves in practice. His impressive efforts have prompted Carolina to explore a position change for Smith-Wade. In turn, Scott welcomes another player who could eventually usurp him.
Fair or not, Scott finds himself caught in the middle of the madness. He's emerged as a leader on the back end of the Panthers' stop unit and a respected member of the locker room. The contributions off the field are incredibly valuable, but his struggles against the pass at least make way for someone else to take over.
Scott finished tied for the eighth-highest yards per reception allowed among 113 safeties with at least 100 coverage snaps in 2025, including the playoffs (16.0). He was also 99th in passer rating when targeted (124.3).
Nevertheless, Scott recorded 111 tackles, three pass deflections, an interception and a fumble recovery in 17 games this past campaign. His efforts yielded a solid 67.8 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, good for 37th out of 98 qualified safeties.
For what it's worth, an open competition to some extent makes sense from Carolina's perspective. They have no strings attached to Scott, who turned 31 in May, beyond 2026. Even if the Super Bowl LVI champion keeps his place atop the depth chart, he continues serving as a functional stopgap option at best.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of PFF's premium stats ($).
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