The Carolina Panthers are getting calls on Derrick Brown, but there’s no sign they’re interested in making a move.
According to Joe Person of The Athletic, teams have reached out about the standout defensive tackle, yet Carolina has shown no willingness to deal him. That lines up with how important Brown is to this defense, especially with the Panthers sitting at 3-4 and still in first place in the NFC South despite back-to-back losses to Tampa Bay and Green Bay.
At this point, Carolina’s season is still very much alive. The division remains there for the taking, and that changes the conversation around the trade deadline. Instead of acting like a team ready to sell, the Panthers could even be in position to buy if they decide to reinforce a roster that still has a real path to the playoffs.
Brown is a big reason the Panthers are in that spot. He’s in his seventh season and made the Pro Bowl in 2023. This year, he has 21 tackles, three quarterback hits, five passes defensed, and one tackle for loss.
The Panthers’ route to the postseason likely runs through the division, not the wild card, and their defense will have to carry plenty of that load. Brown sits right at the center of it.
Carolina’s schedule is about to get tougher, and there are still four NFC South games left on the slate. That means the Panthers will need strong play across the board, especially if the secondary gets stretched again. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson could be back, but the depth there could still be tested.
Person also noted that Brown is here to win and wants to stay in Carolina and win games. For a Panthers team that has moved talented players in the past, that’s a notable shift.
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For Carolina, it is another reminder of how quickly the division can change around the edges, especially with interim defensive coordinator Todd Wash still sorting through strategy, personnel usage and staff adjustments after the departure of linebackers coach Mayur Chaudhari. Around the NFC South, the Saints also made a coaching change ahead of Week 9, firing run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti as Kellen Moore looks to streamline the operation, with guard David Edwards pointing to the offensive lines part in that decision. [Read more 🡒]