Bobby Okereke didn’t spend the NFL offseason sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. He kept himself ready, working on his conditioning and staying prepared for whatever came next.
That patience paid off in Carolina.
Late in training camp, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan had seen enough from the team’s second inside linebacker options and went looking for help. The result was a one-year, $1.5 million deal for Okereke, still on the free agent market in August and suddenly the answer Carolina wanted.
“The thought of being able to get a player like Bobby Okereke was an amazing opportunity for us,” coach Dave Canales said on Sept. 1.
The move came after a crowded summer battle at inside linebacker. Canales had repeatedly pointed to the competition between Claudin Cherelus and Trevin Wallace, who rotated in and out of the starting group as the Panthers sorted through their options. Wallace was eventually released on cutdown day Aug. 30, a decision Canales called emotional.
“Trevin, I love him, I wish him the best (with the New York Jets),” Canales said. “The guy was part of our first draft class, but this was an opportunity to make that room more competitive.”
Okereke, the New York Giants’ leading tackler last season, got to work right away. He took part in his first practice Sept. 1, the Panthers’ first full session as a 53-man roster.
The seven-year veteran brings the kind of production Carolina was looking for. He finished with 143 combined tackles, along with six passes defended and two interceptions. The Panthers clearly valued that package, especially for a defense that has had trouble at times holding up against athletic tight ends.
Canales said Monday that he believes Okereke and Devin Lloyd can help there without losing ground against the run. Lloyd, who was named a team captain, now lines up next to Okereke in the base 3-4 look.
“Two physical players and when they see the ball and they see what's happening, they play downhill,” Canales said after Monday’s practice. “Bobby's a tackling machine.
He covers ground, uses his mind to be in good position. When you can play like that, it's a good balance.
“You know, I feel like (Lloyd and Okereke) are two really balanced players in terms of being able to play the run and also know where their marks are when dropping (into) coverage.”
The Panthers will open defense of their 2025 NFC South title on Sunday against the visiting Chicago Bears, and Canales expects a challenge from Ben Johnson’s offense. He said Johnson likes to mix things up and disguise what’s coming.
“That’s one thing that I've always appreciated about Ben Johnson's offenses, it's not going to be just this (type of) run,” Canales said. “It's going to be multiple runs out of similar looks.”
That means the Panthers’ linebackers will have to stay sharp, stay disciplined and, as Canales put it, be ready for the wrinkles.
“We're expecting those wrinkles,” he said. “And really, it forces you to dial in.”
And stay patient as the play unfolds.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Trade Still Haunts The Panthers For One Reason
The 2023 deal that sent the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina is still one of the defining moves of the Bryce Young era, because it did not just land the Panthers their quarterback, it set Chicago up with the kind of draft capital that can reshape a roster for years. The Bears turned those picks into a wave of players, including Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Tory Taylor, Tyrique Stevenson and Luther Burden, giving the trade a footprint that keeps growing well beyond draft weekend.
For Carolina, the lingering sting is not only about Youngs early progress, but about how much the other side has already gotten from the transaction. Chicagos haul has produced more immediate depth and impact, while the Panthers are still waiting for the move to fully justify itself on their end. Even so, this is the kind of trade that can look different a year from now if Young keeps developing and Carolina starts cashing in on the quarterback it paid so dearly to land. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Secondary Could Get Even Scarier With This Early Projection
A new 2027 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Reports Scouting Department has already put the Panthers in a familiar place: eyeing the secondary. The projection has Carolina taking Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore with the No. 7 overall pick, a move that would add a technically polished defender with the size and football IQ to fit alongside what the Panthers are trying to build on that side of the ball.
It is only an early projection, of course, but it speaks to how the Panthers could keep leaning into defense if the roster trends hold. Moore is the kind of cornerback evaluators tend to pair with a strong existing group, and that is what makes this idea interesting for Carolina - not just whether he would be a fit, but how much scarier the secondary could look if the front office ever decides to spend premium draft capital there. [Read more 🡒]
Darren Waller Is Giving Panthers Fans A Reason To Dream Again
Darren Waller has spent this offseason taking a different approach to his conditioning, and it has given the Panthers something worth watching as camp unfolds. After a stretch in which his availability and effectiveness have been the real questions, the tight end has come into Carolina with a focus that has shown up both physically and mentally, according to coach Dave Canales.
Canales praised what he has seen from Waller during camp, and for a team looking for any reason to feel better about its passing game, that matters. The Panthers are still piecing together plenty of the offense around him, but Wallers work has at least added a layer of intrigue to a roster that has spent too long searching for steady playmakers. [Read more 🡒]