Panthers signing Pro Bowl DT Derrick Brown to four-year, $96 million extension

The Carolina Panthers are signing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a four-year, $96 million extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The deal includes $63.165 million in guaranteed money, Schefter noted.

Brown, the 2020 first-round pick out of Auburn, had his best season to date in 2023. He recorded 103 tackles (57 solo), seven tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits and 2.0 sacks. Brown’s 103 tackles were the most in a single season by a defensive tackle in NFL history. In four seasons, he’s tallied 245 tackles (135 solo), 8.0 sacks and 48 quarterback hits.

“He’s had a heck of a year,” defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said of Brown’s performance, via the team’s website. “He’s been so disruptive. I don’t think it’s arguably — I think he’s been the best run defender in the NFL this year. He’s done a heck of a job rushing the quarterback and creating pressures, the interception, the batted balls. There’s been so much production. The leadership. He’s been instrumental in everything that we’ve done.”

Panthers lock up one of their best in Derrick Brown

Brown, 25, will stay in Carolina for the foreseeable future, though the same can’t be said for Brian Burns. Unable to come to terms on a contract extension, the Panthers traded the Pro Bowl pass rusher to the New York Giants in exchange for 2024 second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 39 and 141 overall, respectively) and a 2025 conditional fifth-rounder. The Giants subsequently signed Burns to a five-year deal worth a maximum of $150 million with $87.5 million guaranteed.

That leaves Brown as the star of Evero’s defense, the lone bright spot during Carolina’s 2-15 campaign last season. The Panthers ranked fourth in total defense, much to do with Brown’s play.

“He plays hard,” Evero said. “I mean, and I’ve said it before, but probably the most impressive thing that he does for a man that big, 340-plus pounds, to run down the field, play hard every down. He’s making plays 40 yards down the field. He’s really, he’s a heck of a player.

“What you see in him is just continued growth and maturation and learning the NFL game, understanding, not only using his physical ability, but also all the nuances of the game that come with experience, and all of that is just playing out. … Even before I took this job, I knew what a player he was and his reputation in the league is a guy that is hard to block. That’s been happening for a couple of years now.”