Vital Panthers Free Agent Already Plotting Exit From Carolina This Offseason

The Carolina Panthers ended the 2024 campaign on a high note, defeating the Falcons to finish 5-12 for the season. They will have the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and have a chance to select a real difference-maker.

Panthers GM Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales earned themselves another season thanks to the improvement the team showed this season. However, there is still plenty of work to be done to turn the Panthers into a competitive and relevant football team.

Free agency will play a crucial role. Retaining key contributors while adding impactful players on both ends of the field will be important to end the playoff drought.

One of those contributors is the talented offensive lineman Brady Christensen. The versatile veteran is hitting free agency and ESPN's David Newton reported that the 28-year-old will test the market with the goal of doing "what's best for [his] family."

Panthers News: Brady Christensen to Test Free Agency

Ever since he was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Christensen lined up all over the offensive line for the Panthers.

As a rookie, he played left tackle, right tackle and right guard before becoming the full-time starter at left guard in his second season. He missed all but one game in 2023 after suffering a biceps injury early in the year. This season, he played every game, starting in six, and lined up at left tackle and center.

This type of versatility will make him a coveted option in free agency. Considering that he is coming off a 4 year, $5.1 million rookie deal and that this will likely be his last big payday in the NFL, it makes sense for Christensen to prioritize the finances of his next contract. Whether the Panthers should break the bank for Christensen, who received a 60.9 PFF grade and ranked as the 30th-best center in the league this season will be a fascinating question in free agency.

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