Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 5th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following 2023’s five-team coaching carousel, this offseason featured a quarter of the jobs becoming available. One HC-needy team (New England) did not put its position on the market, promoting Jerod Mayo, but the rest did. The Patriots’ decision also produced the first shakeup among the league’s longest-tenured head coach list since 2013.

Since the Eagles fired Andy Reid, Bill Belichick‘s Patriots HC stint had run the longest. After a 4-13 season, the six-time Super Bowl-winning leader was moved out of the picture. No team hired Belichick, generating a wave of rumors, and only one (Atlanta) brought him in for an official interview. While Belichick should be expected to take at least one more run at a third-chance HC gig, Mike Tomlin rises into the top spot on this list.

Tomlin is going into his 18th season with the Steelers, and while he has surpassed Bill Cowher for longevity, the steady leader still has a ways to go to reach Chuck Noll‘s 23-season Pittsburgh benchmark. Tomlin, 52, enters the 2024 season 17-for-17 in non-losing seasons, separating himself from his predecessors in that regard.

Belichick’s ouster brought far more attention, but his Patriots predecessor also slid out of the HC ranks after a 14-year Seattle stay. Pete Carroll‘s third HC shot elevated the Seahawks to their franchise peak. No Hawks HC comes close to Carroll’s duration, and while the Super Bowl winner was interested in remaining a head coach, no team interviewed the 72-year-old sideline staple.

Belichick and Carroll’s exits leave only Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Reid as coaches who have been in place at least 10 years. With Mike Vrabel also booted this offseason, only eight HCs have held their current jobs since the 2010s. A few 2017 hires, however, stand out; Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Sean McDermott have now each signed multiple extensions. Now riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Reid joined Tomlin in signing an offseason extension.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2024 season:

Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed offseason extension
Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots): January 12, 2024
Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders): January 19, 2024
Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024

Latest On Panthers’ Wide Receiving Corps

July 5th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen had an excellent 2024 campaign, reminiscent of some of his best seasons with the Vikings. Besides the 33-year-old’s standout effort, rookie quarterback Bryce Young didn’t get much help throughout a rocky first season. As a result, the Panthers made two big moves to augment the receiving corps this offseason, requiring recent high draft picks to show up soon or, perhaps, get pushed out.

After Thielen’s 103-reception, 1,014-yard, four-score effort, the next-best receiving performances were from free agent addition DJ Chark (35 receptions-525 yards-5 touchdowns) and second-round rookie Jonathan Mingo (43-418-0). Rounding out the room, former second-round pick Terrace Marshall (19-139-0), former Jaguars second-round pick Laviska Shenault (10-60-0), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (8-51-0), and Mike Strachan (1-45-0) each provided minimal contributions in Young’s rookie year.

Besides Shenault, that entire group returns in 2024. Thielen will obviously remain a starter, though he may be challenged by trade acquisition Diontae Johnson for the WR1-role. Johnson averaged about 872 yards and five touchdowns per year over five seasons in Pittsburgh. Putting forth an average season would already provide a significant upgrade to the room.

Joining Johnson as a newcomer to the group is first-round draft pick Xavier Legette. An explosive but inexperienced weapon out of South Carolina, Legette brings an air of mystery to the Panthers. Legette spent four years with the Gamecocks before finally becoming a main contributor as a redshirt senior, totaling more in 2023 (71-1,255-7) than he did in the four prior years combined (42-423-5).

Barely making it into the first round as the 32nd overall selection in this year’s draft, Legette will be competing with the team’s two former second-round picks in his rookie season for the WR3 job. While Marshall has had trouble staying on the field since getting drafted out of LSU, missing at least three games in each year including eight last year, his second season stats (28-490-1) resembled Mingo’s rookie numbers, but he was mostly a non-factor during his other two seasons. Mingo could certainly take step forward in Year 2, but he’ll now be forced to outperform Legette in training camp to remain a starter.

One under the radar addition that could prove effective is UFL star Daewood Davis. A former undrafted free agent for the Dolphins out of Western Kentucky, Davis caught 41 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games with the Memphis Showboats. If he uses that pro experience to enhance his offseason performance in 2024, Davis could make a strong play for a roster spot and, perhaps, even a role in the receiver-rotation.

Regardless, Carolina’s 2024 receiving corps looks to be much improved from the group fielded by the Panthers in 2023. Thielen and Johnson figure to form a strong, experienced duo atop the depth chart. Past those two, Carolina just needs one of Legette, Mingo, Marshall, Davis, or another to step up and provide a strong WR3 for Young.

Latest On Giants’ Brian Burns Acquisition

July 3rd, 2024 at 1:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Reports of serious trade talks between the Panthers and Giants regarding Brian Burns emerged one day before the teams worked out an agreement for the Pro Bowl edge rusher. Initial conversations on that front began much earlier, however.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan first discussed the possibility of a Burns trade with Giants counterpart Joe Schoen in February, as chronicled in the debut episode of the 2024 Hard Knocks: Offseason series (video link). Morgan’s comments to Schoen – along with Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who shares a longstanding relationship with the pair – made it clear Burns was available.

Carolina rejected a Rams trade offer of two first-round selections when Scott Fitterer was at the helm. His dismissal allowed Morgan to take over, but in the absence of an extension agreement a move seeing the 26-year-old join a new team became increasingly feasible. Morgan’s conversation with Schoen began with an asking price of two Day 1 picks before quickly being lowered to “a one and something.”

The latter price was a more logical one considering the fact Burns was set to play on the franchise tag in 2024. Needing to be extended upon arrival, his trade value for an acquiring team was far lower than it was at the time the Rams proposal was rejected. Giants director of pro scouting Chris Rossetti also pegged Burns’ acquisition cost as a first-rounder and more, although Schoen remained optimistic the lack of progress on extension talks could lower it (h/t Dan Duggan of The Athletic).

In the end, the parties worked out a trade agreement in March. The Panthers sent Burns and No. 166 in the 2024 draft to the Giants for picks No. 39 and 141 in addition to a fifth-round selection next year. New York moved quickly in hammering out a five-year, $141MM extension which will make the Florida State product the focal point of the team’s edge rush. Expectations will be high as a result, with Burns representing a new big-ticket contract on the Giants’ books.

For the Panthers, meanwhile, the return was greater in value than the compensatory selection the team would have received following a Burns free agent departure after the 2024 campaign. Carolina can move forward with considerable cap flexibility, although the sack artist’s absence will no doubt be felt amongst the team’s remaining edge contingent. Considering their ties stemming from their Panthers days, Morgan and Schoen could use the Burns deal as a blueprint for future trade negotiations.

NFC Front Office Updates: Panthers, Falcons, Cardinals

June 29th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers are one of several NFC teams who continue to make updates to their front office staff in recent days. Carolina made two moves and two new hires in this month.

The first move sees area scout Caden McCloughan move from the west coast to the southwest, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. He’s in his third year with the team since joining as a scouting intern in 2022. Joining McCloughan as an area scout is Kaleb Leach, who is getting promoted to northeast area scout for Carolina after also joining the team in 2022. Leach started as a scouting assistant after both playing and scouting in international football.

The two new hires are pro scout Adam Maxie and scouting assistant Gabby Weinrich. Maxie has NFL experience dating back t0 2017. He’s worked as a quality control coach with the Buccaneers, a scouting intern with the Vikings, and a pro scout with the Raiders. Weinrich takes Leach’s old position as scouting assistant. She attended scout school with the Jets in 2022 and worked as a training camp intern with the Bears the following year, all while working as a player personnel and recruiting assistant for the University of Nebraska. This will be her first full-time position in the NFL.

Here are a few other front office updates from around the NFC, starting with another NFC South squad:

The Falcons have promoted Nathan Ellis from scouting assistant to scouting coordinator, per Stratton. Previously a pro scouting intern for the Chargers for two summers, Ellis joined Atlanta as a scouting intern last summer, turning that time into a full-time gig at the start of the season. His previous full-time job was as a recruiting assistant/coordinator with the University of South Carolina.
The Cardinals made a number of moves to their scouting staff, as well, per Stratton. Chad Jenkins has been moved from NFS scout to area scout. Jenkins has been with the team since 2018 after some time at Tulane and Tennessee State. Stephen Wise will take Jenkins’ NFS scout role, moving from his role as a scouting assistant. Wise joined the team in 2021 after three years as a football recruiting assistant at South Carolina where he overlapped with Ellis for a few months. Andrew Ford will also get promoted from scouting assistant. Formerly a quarterback at UMass, he’ll now work as a pro scout for Arizona. Landon Grier has been hired to fill one of the two newly vacated scouting assistant roles. This will be Grier’s first job out of college after graduating from South Carolina.

Rejected Rams Proposal Affected Panthers’ Extension Talks With Brian Burns

June 21st, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the bigger trade what-ifs during this NFL period occurred before the 2022 deadline, when the Panthers turned down a monster Rams offer for Brian Burns. While the Rams shifted into a retooling mode — with a greater interest on rookie contracts — as their Super Bowl LVI title defense skidded off track, the fallout from the failed pursuit affected the Panthers.

Serious Carolina-Burns extension talks did not commence until 2023, but the Pro Bowl edge rusher effectively held the failed trade against the Panthers, who turned down an offer that turned out to be much better than the one they ended up accepting from the Giants. Los Angeles offered two first-round picks and a third for Burns; Carolina ultimately accepted a second-rounder and a swap of fifths from New York.

Once the Panthers rejected the Rams’ proposal in October 2022, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the tone of his talks with Carolina did not improve. While Burns would have followed Von Miller and Dante Fowler as edge pieces sent to L.A. at a trade deadline, the Carolina edge stood in a position to be extended. It is unclear if the Rams had a deal ready to go, however, and Burns’ asking price ended up too high for the Panthers. Miller was in his age-32 season when the Rams acquired him, and Fowler had not performed on Burns’ level; the Rams acquiring a 25-year-old Pro Bowler would have separated that prospective trade from the Miller and Fowler swaps.

Although the Panthers were believed to be preparing for a Burns extension during the 2022 offseason, talks did not pick up until June 2023. By the time discussions did move into high gear, then-GM Scott Fitterer — empowered after the October 2022 Matt Rhule firing — had both rejected the Rams’ offer and kept their top sack artist out of the March 2023 trade with the Bears that sent the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina.

Before pivoting to D.J. Moore, the Bears asked about Burns and Derrick Brown. The Bears’ immediate extension for Montez Sweat upon acquiring the Commanders defensive end at the 2023 deadline created another what-if for Burns, though his involvement in those trade talks ultimately proved beneficial.

Burns had sought a deal in the $30MM-per-year ballpark, with that number coming up before the 49ers’ $34MM-AAV Nick Bosa agreement. Considering the accomplishment gap between Bosa and Burns, it was understandable the Panthers balked at giving the Ron Rivera-era draftee a deal that would have topped T.J. Watt‘s then-OLB-record number. Teams asked about Burns at the 2023 trade deadline as well, but the offers were not viewed as especially close to where the Rams went.

The snag coming out of the failed Rams trade talks became the Giants’ gain, with new GM Dan Morgan and former coworker Joe Schoen linking up on a March trade. They acquired Burns for a package similar to the one they received for Leonard Williams and gave the franchise-tagged edge rusher a five-year, $141MM deal that came with $76MM guaranteed at signing. Burns, 26, ranks in the top four in AAV, total guarantees and full guarantees among edge defenders. His contract, for the time being, overlaps with Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s rookie deal.

Carolina has since extended Brown, but cornerstones Moore and Burns are now elsewhere. The team’s receiving corps underwhelmed in 2023, contributing to Bryce Young‘s poor rookie season, and the team patched its OLB corps together with free agency additions in Morgan’s first offseason as GM. Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson are now in place in Charlotte. The team does not appear to have an OLB pillar presently, and Morgan will be tasked with finding one to replace Burns in the long term.

Giants Factored Into Panthers’ Trade-Up Move For RB Jonathon Brooks

June 19th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Sam Robinson

Three years ago, Giants connections to DeVonta Smith prompted the Eagles to trade up (via the Cowboys) to outflank their rivals for the Heisman-winning wide receiver. A middle-class version of that situation looks to have played out during this year’s draft.

Not making a strong effort to retain Saquon Barkley in free agency, the Giants pivoted to ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge Devin Singletary at a lower rate. They did add another running back in the draft, addressing the position (Tyrone Tracy Jr.) in the fifth round for the second straight year. The Panthers made a move to ensure the Giants’ investment at the position did not come sooner.

Citing the Giants bringing in Jonathon Brooks for a “30” visit, Panthers GM Dan Morgan advocated to David Tepper the team should trade up to move ahead of the NFC East club for the Texas RB at No. 46. Morgan said he knew of other teams viewing Brooks as this draft’s top running back. Considering Brooks was chosen 20 picks before the second RB went off the board, it seems like a safe assumption other clubs shared Carolina’s view of the ex-Longhorns ball-carrier.

The Panthers traded down from No. 39, allowing the Rams to move up for Florida State defensive lineman Braden Fiske — a deal that gave Carolina a 2025 second-rounder. They sent the Colts two fifths to climb from 52 to 46, with the Giants sitting at 47. New York eventually took Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin, marking the second straight year the Giants went with a Golden Gophers prospect (following center John Michael Schmitz) in Round 2.

“We knew that if we traded [No. 39] there would be a player that we would miss out on. We were comfortable with that because we really wanted Brooks, and to be able to get the two next year, we said, OK, once our guys start going, then we’re going have to move back up,” Morgan said, via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. “It’s not like we did anything that was so smart or great or whatever; we were just willing to take a larger risk to get that outcome of the trade. It’s like, let’s not get cute here. Let’s just get our guy.”

Morgan and Giants GM Joe Schoen worked together for a stretch in Buffalo, helping give the new Panthers front office boss some insight on how his former coworker could be handling Round 2 in this year’s draft. Morgan also called Schoen about moving up, Gantt adds, while new Panthers exec Brandt Tilis contacted ex-Chiefs coworker Chris Ballard — a conversation that led to the Day 2 swap with the Colts.

Brooks fell to No. 46 in part because of a November ACL tear. He had still amassed 1,139 rushing yards (6.1 per tote) and 10 touchdowns in 11 games last year. With Chuba Hubbard going into a contract year, the Panthers made the move to add a successor early. While Brooks is not yet cleared for full work, he is expected to be back for training camp. He looks set to be eased into action, however, with The Athletic’s Joe Person indicating Hubbard is the “clear leader” on the depth chart going into camp (subscription required).

Hubbard usurped free agent signing Miles Sanders, who received last year’s top UFA RB contract (four years, $25.4MM), during Carolina’s dismal season. The former fourth-round pick totaled 902 rushing yards behind an injury-plagued O-line, averaging only 3.8 per carry, and scored five touchdowns. Sanders also suffered a heel injury while working out on his own, and the malady worsened during OTAs, Person adds.

Considering the Panthers also added Rashaad Penny — who overlapped with Dave Canales in Seattle — and it would not be shocking to see them move on from Sanders despite the dead money hit that would come. Though, it would cost Carolina more than $7MM to drop Sanders; the team would also carry 2025 dead money from that transaction.

As for the Giants, they have been linked to adding another veteran RB to the mix. Singletary is in place as the projected starter, with Tracy and Eric Gray behind him. The team has not re-signed multiyear backup Matt Breida. New York did add UFL rushing leader Jacob Saylors on Tuesday, but its backfield obviously does not appear as imposing as it did when Barkley resided atop the depth chart.

With costs rising on Big Blue’s payroll, the team opted not to re-sign the two-time Pro Bowler. It is not known if the Giants truly would have taken Brooks as a Barkley successor in Round 2, but the Panthers took that option off the table to be safe.

Panthers’ D.J. Wonnum Likely To Miss Time In Training Camp

June 17th, 2024 at 11:15am CST by Adam La Rose

Having moved on from Brian Burns, the Panthers will rely heavily on free agent additions Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum along the edge in 2024. The latter’s availability for training camp is in question, though.

Wonnum dealt with complications from the quadriceps surgery he underwent this offseason throughout spring workouts, as noted by The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required). As a result, the ex-Viking did not take part in OTAs or minicamp. Person adds Wonnum is therefore a strong candidate to open training camp on the active/PUP list.

Players who open camp with that designation can be activated at any time, and the Panthers will no doubt look to bring Wonnum into the fold as quickly as possible. The 26-year-old signed a two-year, $12.5MM deal in March, and he is in line to handle starting duties on his new team. Wonnum alternated between a starting and rotational role in Minnesota, but he has flashed potential when given a notable workload (eight sacks in each of the 2021 and ’23 seasons).

Wonnum and Clowney are joined on the depth chart by the likes of K’Lavon Chaisson, Amare Barno, DJ Johnson and Eku Leota. As Person notes, Chaisson – who struggled to make an impact across four years with the Jaguars – was away from OTAs, while the others are each dealing with injury situations of their own. The group could be short on healthy bodies when training camp opens next month.

Carolina ranked last in the NFL with 27 sacks last season. With Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos (who signed with the 49ers in free agency) out of the picture, Clowney and Wonnum – if he manages to recover in time for the regular season – will lead the Panthers’ newcomers along the edge. Person does add, though, that the team could be in the market for a pass rush addition via free agency or trade, along with the waiver wire later in the offseason given the current uncertainty at that position. Carolina currently has just over $6MM in cap space, so a small move in that regard could be feasible.

UFL Rumors: Davis, Saylors, Butler

June 16th, 2024 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2024 UFL season comes to an end this weekend with the championship game between the Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas, players in the league are now able to work out with NFL squads and should be able to begin signing NFL contracts starting Tuesday. We’ve already seen a number of names pop up as potential NFL signees to look out for this upcoming week.

One of the earliest names we saw was that of wide receiver Daewood Davis, who Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports is expected to sign with the Panthers pending a physical. Davis played at Oregon for three years in college, failing to crack the starting lineup before transferring to Western Kentucky, where he immediately blew up as a difference maker. His efforts with the Hilltoppers didn’t get him drafted, but Davis signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dolphins. He was waived with an injury designation in final roster cuts last year but found his way to the Memphis Showboats of the UFL.

In 10 games with the Showboats, Davis caught 41 passes (6th in the UFL) for 446 yards (7th) and five touchdowns (tied-2nd). His efforts earned him one of three wide receiver spots on the inaugural All-UFL Team. If everything works out as expected, Davis could join a two-deep that currently includes Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, first-round rookie Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Here are a couple other UFL rumors from recent days:

Davis isn’t the only receiver the Panthers are looking at out of the UFL. Per Rapoport, Carolina also worked out the league’s leading receiver Hakeem Butler before they went to summer break. Butler is the oldest of the group we’re reporting on tonight and is the only drafted player. Butler was a fourth-round pick for the Cardinals back in 2019 after an incredible junior year at Iowa State that saw him catch 60 balls for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns. A preseason broken hand kept Butler out of his rookie season, and he was waived before his sophomore campaign. The Eagles signed him and tried to convert him to a tight end, but he failed to stick in Philadelphia, as well, getting waived before the 2021 NFL season. Butler spent the next year in the Canadian Football League before signing with the Battlehawks when they were still in the XFL. He spent a short offseason stint with the Steelers this past year before finding his way back to the Battlehawks after failing to make the 53-man roster in Pittsburgh. In his second stint with the team, Butler joined Davis as two of three All-UFL Team receivers, leading the league with 652 receiving yards on 45 catches and five touchdowns.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports that the Giants are set to host Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors this Tuesday. Signing as an undrafted free agent with the Bengals last year out of East Tennessee State, Saylors was waived in final roster cuts this past August before spending a bit of time on the Falcons’ practice squad. In nine games with St. Louis, Saylors led the UFL’s running backs with 460 rushing yards (trailing only Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez for the league lead) while tying for second in rushing touchdowns with five. Saylors joined Davis and his St. Louis teammate, Butler, as the only running back on the All-UFL Team. After watching Saquon Barkley depart in free agency, New York may look to add Saylors to a stable that currently includes veteran Devin Singletary and first- and second-year backs Eric Gray, Jashaun Corbin, and Tyrone Tracy.

WR Diontae Johnson Interested In Panthers Extension

June 12th, 2024 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers and Panthers agreed to swap contract-year players. The higher-profile piece included in the March trade went to Carolina, which acquired Diontae Johnson. Donte Jackson is now in Pittsburgh, joining Johnson as a walk-year player on a new team.

Carolina has now paired Johnson’s Pittsburgh-constructed contract with Bryce Young‘s rookie deal. Johnson and Adam Thielen join rookie-contract wideouts Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette. After inking a two-year, $36.75MM deal before the 2022 season, Johnson may not need to see how this season goes before determining Charlotte could work for him long term.

“Just gotta stay relaxed, just keep being humble, make my plays,” Johnson said, via Panthers Wire’s Anthony Rizzuti. “Help the team win the best way I can and my game will speak for itself. And if they feel like they want to extend me, then I’m all for it.”

Johnson’s contract timeline has proven interesting. He initially strolled into a walk year as the Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams contracts began a sea change in the receiver market. The Jaguars’ four-year, $72MM Christian Kirk proposal changed the market’s second tier as well, and a slew of Day 2 draftees in 2019 — Johnson, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf — landed extensions. Johnson’s checked in between Kirk’s pact and the Brown-Metcalf-Samuel-McLaurin tier, averaging $18.35MM per year. He is now going into a contract year as the WR market is changing again.

Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Justin Jefferson have surpassed Hill’s $30MM-per-year accord, and Hill joins CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk in angling for a top-market contract. Courtland Sutton resides near the second tier; the Broncos’ top wideout is pushing for an adjustment as well. Johnson, who will turn 28 next month, can certainly aim for a contract north of $20MM per year. He might need to deliver a bounce-back season in Carolina to up his market.

Johnson has been tied to a slew of QBs during his career. Although Ben Roethlisberger will be a Hall of Famer, he was not at his best during Johnson’s Pittsburgh stay. Big Ben’s 2019 elbow injury ushered in a season of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, and Roethlisberger’s retirement brought in Kenny Pickett. The latter failed to justify the Steelers’ No. 20 overall investment, leading to a trade. Johnson has made do, with his crafty route running (with a drop penchant admittedly mixed in) aiding this lot of QBs. Sandwiching an 1,161-yard 2021 showing in Roethlisberger’s finale, Johnson totaled 923 yards (2020) and 881 (2022). The former third-round pick bettered his 2022 per-game average, notching 55.2 per contest — and catching five TD passes after famously being kept out of the end zone in 2022 — after returning from a hamstring injury last season.

The Panthers added Johnson and Legette to help round out Young’s aerial cast, which was thin beyond Thielen last season. Thielen’s three-year, $25MM contract features a guaranteed 2024 salary. The soon-to-be 34-year-old receiver’s 2025 money is nonguaranteed, giving the Panthers options. Another Johnson deal would align with Young’s rookie deal on a roster largely devoid of big-ticket contracts.

Carolina hired Dan Morgan as its GM this offseason. While Morgan did not have final say on the D.J. Moore and Robbie Chosen extensions earlier this decade, he was on staff when the Panthers authorized them. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Panthers move to extend Johnson before or during his contract campaign.

WR Pharoh Cooper Announces Retirement

June 10th, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Pharoh Cooper did not play in 2023, and he will not pursue a comeback this summer. The veteran receiver/return specialist announced his retirement on Monday.

Cooper entered the league with the Rams in 2016, and he showed promise in the return game as a rookie. His follow-up campaign proved to be the best of his career on special teams, as he racked up 1,421 all-purpose yards while averaging 27.4 kick return yards. The former fourth-rounder earned a Pro Bowl nod along with first-team All-Pro honors that season.

The South Carolina product’s run with the Rams came to an end following an ankle injury in 2018. That marked the beginning of a span in which he bounced around the NFL while trying to remain a standout returner and carve out a role on offense. In the latter regard, his best season came in 2019 (243 yards, one touchdown on 25 catches) while splitting his time between the Cardinals and Bengals.

Cooper went on to spend the 2020 season in Carolina before joining the Giants the following season. His last game action came in 2022 when he returned to Arizona; in all three stops he saw sparse offensive usage while serving as the his team’s returner. For his career, Cooper racked up over 3,900 return yards and averaged 9.2 yards on punt returns and 23.6 yards on kick returns.

“Farewell football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” his retirement announcement reads in part. “I appreciate all the love and support I’ve received from my family, friends, and fans through out my career. Much love.”

Cooper will hang up his cleats at the age of 29. A veteran of 76 combined regular and postseason games, he amassed roughly $4.77MM in career earnings. After a full season away from the game in 2023, he will turn his attention to his post-playing days.

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