The Carolina Panthers made a big splash in free agency by stealing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips away from the Philadelphia Eagles on a massive deal.
The addition of Phillips has the potential to reshape Carolina’s defense, but did they overpay?
Jaelan Phillips named Panthers’ most overpaid player
At least one person thinks they did, as Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently named the newly-signed Phillips as Carolina’s most overpaid player.
“Phillips put up a top-20 PFF pass-rushing grade among qualified edge defenders in 2025, but he was limited to just two sacks in eight games with the Eagles as a rental, and injuries cost him the vast majority of 2023 and 2024 before the Dolphins bailed on him,” Gagnon wrote.
“Considering the 26-year-old has never been a first- or second-team All-Pro or a Pro Bowler, it’s pretty wild that he’s just the 12th defensive player in the $30 million AAV club.”
The Panthers may have overpaid to land Phillips, but that was likely the only way they were going to get him, as he had other suitors, including the Eagles, and ultimately his decision to sign with Carolina came down to the offer.
“I have respect for them (the Eagles), and I don’t want to disclose what they were offering or anything like that, but they definitely did want me to come back. That’s something I knew after the season that they would be making a push, but ultimately, the Panthers just came with a more attractive offer,” Phillips said of his decision to sign with Carolina.
“That just shows the belief they have in me and the belief they have in their team that we’re going to invest in to pieces that are going to take this team to the next level. It was kind of a no-brainer to come to the Panthers.”
Time will tell if Carolina’s investment in Phillips proves to be a wise one, but given the sheer size of his contract, it’s fair to have some skepticism at this point.
More NFL news: