The Carolina Panthers have cemented a cornerstone of their franchise.
As announced by the team on Friday afternoon, defensive tackle Derrick Brown has agreed to a multi-year extension. Per ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, Brown will be signing a four-year, $96 million deal with approximately $63.1 in guarantees.
Carolina selected Brown with the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft. Since then, the Auburn University product has served as a pillar in the middle of the Panthers defense—having played in 66 of a possible 67 games over four pro campaigns.
In that time, Brown has amassed 245 combined tackles (28 for a loss), 8.0 sacks, 48 quarterback hits, two interceptions and 21 passes defensed. He’s fresh off recording 103 tackles in 2023—which not only stands as a new single-season NFL record for a defensive lineman, but also helped him earn the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Brown’s deal will make him the fourth-highest paid player at his position on an annual basis—behind Kansas City’s Chris Jones, Las Vegas’ Christian Wilkins and Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike.
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