John Penisini‘s time in the NFL appeared to be over after only two seasons played, but that may no longer be the case. The defensive lineman is set sign with the Panthers this coming week, as noted by his agent David Canter.
Penisini began his career as a Lions draftee. In his rookie campaign, he started 12 of 16 games and logged a snap share of 51%. His level of play while logging such a notable workload raised expectations for him in the future, but things took a turn for the worst in the subsequent offseason. The former sixth-rounder underwent surgery to remove large masses from each of his shoulders.
Penisini was able to suit up for 16 contests in 2021, but saw his playing time drop dramatically. He had been unable to recover as hoped from the shoulder issues, and announced his retirement last June.
The Lions thus placed him on the reserve/retired list for an extended stretch, though they waived him last month. That left the Utah product free to sign with any team in the event he felt a comeback was possible.
That is obviously now the case, with a Carolina deal in place. Aged 25, Penisini could have plenty of productive time available to him if he were able to remain healthy moving forward.
This contract will provide him with the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp, and a rotational role along the team’s defensive front if things go according to plan.
Carolina has Derrick Brown, Bravvion Roy and recently re-signed Henry Anderson in place as holdovers from their 2022 D-line. Matthew Ioannidis remains a free agent, but the Panthers have added Shy Tuttle on a three-year, $19.5M deal. Penisini will look to carve out a role amongst that group as he eyes an NFL return.
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