The Carolina Panthers are leaving no stone unturned in free agency, including the stones that weren’t even in plain sight.
As tweeted by GSE Worldwide agent David Canter on Saturday afternoon, defensive lineman John Penisini will be signing with the Carolina Panthers. The 25-year-old had announced his retirement on June 11, 2022, after just two seasons in the NFL.
Very excited for our @gsefootball client @Dub_jayy_boy who will be signing with the @Panthers this week! pic.twitter.com/ckdb8Nne9I
— David Canter (@davidcanter) April 8, 2023
Penisini was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. The University of Utah Ute—in his two professional campaigns—amassed 49 combined tackles, 1.0 sack, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed over 32 games.
Of those 32 outings, Penisini picked up starts in 12—all of which came during a solid rookie season. Along with that lone career sack and fumble recovery, he also chalked up four tackles for a loss in 2021.
The 6-foot-2, 335-pounder will likely serve as depth at the nose tackle position for Carolina—who is set to shift to a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
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