The Carolina Panthers are in the process of building a culture. The Panthers went 2-15 in their lone season under Frank Reich and interim coach Chris Tabor, and they took a small step when they won five games under first-year head coach Dave Canales last season.
While you could point to some positives, one of the biggest drawbacks was the Panthers’ defense. Carolina set a record with 534 points allowed and coughed up an NFL-high six yards per play allowed last season. The performance has seen the Panthers fire several coaches and bring in new personnel entering next season, but the work may not be done ahead of next week’s draft.
It’s left a star defender’s name on the trading block before the Panthers arrive in Green Bay, and a potentially foolish move if they decide to pull the trigger.
Panthers Should Hold On to Jadeveon Clowney Amid Trade Rumors
The Panthers signed Jadeveon Clowney to a two-year deal last season after they traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants, but they didn’t get their money’s worth. Clowney finished with 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks but had some promising metrics, including a 73.2 pass-rushing grade and 44 pressures on 346 pass-rushing snaps according to Pro Football Focus.
Although Clowney has another year left on his deal, his age (32), cap hit ($13.7 million cap hit), and the unlikelihood of the Panthers chasing a championship next year signal the perfect time to put him on the block, and they might have a willing partner in the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Clowney just turned 32 years old. You thought he was older? I know I did,” Mike Greger of Philly Sports Network speculated. “While he has a lot of tread on those aging tires – 11 years and 140 games – he still racked up 5.5 sacks in 2025. He has accumulated 26 sacks over the past three seasons while staying relatively healthy. And Clowney is in the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal that the rebuilding Panthers would love to shed from the books.”
Those comments make it seem like trading Clowney would be the best move, especially when general manager Dan Morgan hinted at a role for potential draft target Jalon Walker. But even if they move Clowney and draft Walker, there’s still a massive need for pass-rushing help.
D.J. Wonnum missed Carolina’s first nine games last season due to a quadriceps injury but logged four sacks in the final eight games. The Panthers also signed another former Minnesota Vikings edge rusher in Patrick Jones this offseason, but he projects more of a situational pass-rusher than a three-down force.
Carolina also has DJ Johnson on the opposite end, but he also is a fringe roster candidate, especially if the Panthers decide to take an edge rusher at some point during the draft.
At some point, the Panthers need to field good players on defense and Clowney was good enough to earn that role. Carolina could also wait to deal Clowney as teams get desperate at the trade deadline and may get a bigger return. Either way, patience will be key, and it’s enough where Clowney’s tenure in Carolina shouldn’t be over.