The Carolina Panthers are gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft. But there are some in the media still criticizing general manager Dan Morgan's willingness to splash the cash on edge rusher Jaelan Phillips in free agency.
Morgan laid his cards on the table pretty quickly. He wanted to improve the pass rush, and the front-office leader landed one of the best available free agents. Phillips wasn't cheap, but nobody will be complaining about the cost if he meets expectations.
The Panthers gave Phillips a four-year, $120 million deal with $80 million guaranteed. That raised more than a few eyebrows, with most considering it a massive overpay. Morgan has complete conviction, but one NFL analyst also raised legitimate concerns about the bombshell splash.
Carolina Panthers are placing a massive wager on Jaelan Phillips, and it must pay off
Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report named Phillips among his worst free agent signings of the offseason. He highlighted the player's injury history and his lack of elite-level production as reasons for pessimism, which the Panthers are betting against in the biggest way possible.
"Thirty million a season is a lot to give a player whose career high in sacks (8.5) came as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. But the fact that only New York Giants edge-rusher Abdul Carter had fewer sacks last year with more than 50-plus pressures isn't the only issue with [Jaelan] Phillips.
"His pass-rush win rate last year with the Philadelphia Eagles was under 10 percent, and he has a lengthy injury history—he ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2023 and tore his ACL the following year."
Obviously, these are worries. Morgan and others within the Panthers didn't believe it would have an adverse effect on Phillips' ability to be impactful. He's also got previous experience working in a 3-4 base front, which is precisely what Ejiro Evero was looking for to take things up a notch.
Phillips has a lofty price tag, which naturally raises expectations. He's confident of stepping up as a legitimate No. 1 option, and the former Miami Hurricanes star did manage to put together a full campaign last season without any major complications on the health front.
Every big-money signing is a risk. The Panthers missed out on Milton Williams last year. Morgan wasn't going to be hesitant again, and if that meant overpaying a little to get Phillips into the building, he believed Carolina was in the right space to be a little bolder.
Any criticism right now is short-sighted. Phillips hasn't even taken the field for Carolina yet. This is a time for hope, for optimism. If it doesn't work out, that's when the questions will be justified.
But anyone dismissing this signing now could look extremely foolish when it's all said and done.