What Could a Frankie Luvu Contract Look Like?

After a tenure marred with draft busts, failed free agent signings, and maligned trades, Scott Fitterer can hang his hat on the free agent signing of Frankie Luvu.

Luvu joined Carolina in 2021 after three seasons with the Jets where he only started four combined games. His first year in Carolina was nothing special statistically, but towards the end of the season casual observers began to take notice of number forty-nine in black and blue. Luvu became a full-time starter in 2022, starting in 14 of 15 games, and never looked back. 

His 12.5 sacks in two years are good for second on the team, and the fire that he plays with is irreplaceable. The 27-year-old linebacker from Washington State wreaks havoc with a blend of speed and power that can only be matched on the Panthers' defense by Brian Burns and Derrick Brown. Without those three, opposing quarterbacks would have little to worry about when they make trips to Charlotte.

After playing significantly above his station, Luvu enters the 2024 offseason in an enviable position: an NFL player in the prime of his career at a premier position looking to cash in after two career-best years. 

What could a Luvu contract extension look like? Let's take a look at the payday some comparable players received last offseason. 

The two players most comparable to Luvu in age and production that signed last offseason are Arden Key and Kaden Elliss. Key, a 26-year-old linebacker for the Titans, signed a three-year contract extension worth $21 million. Elliss, a 27-year-old linebacker for the Falcons, signed a three-year extension worth $21.5 million.

I'd expect a Luvu contract to come in around that number. Luvu has been slightly more productive than those two players, but he's also entering free agency a year later than those two. My projection is that Luvu will ink a three year deal for somewhere between $21 and $23 million.

Letting Luvu walk would be a bad look for the Panthers. On a defense that was often overmatched in 2023, Luvu consistently brought a spark and played with his hair on fire down in and down out. Retaining an above average defense player in his prime ages is a no-brainer and it is something that needs to be a priority early on in free agency for the Panthers.