The Carolina Panthers may have paid premium money for Jaelan Phillips, but that doesn’t mean the move was a mistake.
That’s the strange but fair read on Carolina’s signing of the edge rusher, a deal that drew a “B” grade from Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton even after he had already tagged Phillips as the most overpaid player at his position. In other words, the Panthers may have overpaid - and still made the right call.
Moton spelled out both sides of the argument, noting, “If Phillips avoids significant injuries, he'll lead the Panthers in sacks and pressures, but his track record suggests his pass-rushing numbers may be closer to average than exceptional,”
That’s the tension with Phillips. The talent has shown up in stretches, but the injury history and the production curve make $30 million per year a steep bet. That figure puts him tied for ninth among edge rushers, and by any reasonable measure, he’s not a top-10 edge defender in the league.
Phillips opened his career with 22 sacks in his first 42 games, but the momentum didn’t last. Between 2023 and 2024, he played in just 12 games after back-to-back injuries - an Achilles tear followed by a torn ACL. He got back on the field in 2025 and played a full season, but the final line was only five sacks across his time with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.
That’s why Carolina is banking on time as much as talent. Being another year removed from the ACL tear could matter, and that kind of rebound is often part of the story with players coming back from that injury.
The Panthers needed the help. They finished 24th in pass-rush win rate last season and were tied for the third-fewest sacks in the NFL, numbers that won’t get it done for a team trying to move beyond simply being a playoff contender.
They also had obvious holes to fill. Nic Scourton led Panthers edge rushers with five sacks, while D.J. Wonnum had to be replaced and Patrick Jones couldn’t be counted on to take over the role.
The market didn’t exactly hand Carolina a clean solution, either. There weren’t many appealing edge rushers available in free agency, and the few who were out there were always going to cost more because teams rarely let good ones walk.
Even with the concerns, Phillips still stood out as one of the better options on the board, which explains why the price tag climbed. Carolina paid up because it had to, and because the alternative was standing still.
So yes, the Panthers may have spent like a team that wanted to make a statement. Now the only question that matters is whether Phillips can turn that contract into production on Sundays.
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