The biggest question facing Carolina’s defense in 2026 is whether Jaelan Phillips plays like a $120 million pass rusher. The Panthers handed the outside linebacker a four-year, $120 million deal in March, the largest free-agent contract of their offseason, and living up to it won’t be easy. Plenty of analysts have pegged the deal as a likely miss, while others see a 27-year-old ready to take a step forward.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton falls in the optimistic camp. He included Phillips on his list of seven NFL edge rushers poised to break out in 2026, arguing that injuries are the main thing that kept Phillips from arriving sooner. Phillips flashed right away as a rookie with 42 tackles, nine for loss, 8.5 sacks and 26 pressures, then followed with a solid 2022. Injuries wiped out 22 games across 2023 and 2024, but he bounced back last season even through some upheaval, including a trade from Miami to Philadelphia. He finished with 53 tackles, seven for loss, five sacks and 35 pressures, one shy of his single-season career high.
To justify the money, Phillips will need to pile up pressures and sacks, though rush production is rarely a solo act. Derrick Brown, a Pro Bowler, and second-round pick Lee Hunter should command attention inside, and continued growth from second-year edge Nic Scourton on the opposite side would take some heat off Phillips.
Phillips has shown that ceiling before, particularly across his first two Miami seasons and the early part of 2023 before he got hurt. Scheme only sharpens the demand. Carolina leans on a four-man rush, and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero blitzes about as little as any play-caller in the league, which puts the burden of pressure squarely on the front four.
