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One-word stipulation slams the door shut on the Carolina Panthers' hopes of landing a former All-Pro defender

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 6:47 PM ET

The Carolina Panthers were an active team throughout the last few months heading into the 2025 season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Few teams threw around the kind of money general manager Dan Morgan dished out to help revamp one of the worst defenses in franchise history.

With a few days until training camp kicks off back in Charlotte, fans have been wondering if any other outside moves will be made to that side of the roster.

The one name that keeps getting brought up on the open market is former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, and for good reason.

Carolina is still lacking a deep coverage guy at the position. The team spent high dollar on an aggressive box safety with high upside in Tre'von Moehrig and have Demani Richardson and Nick Scott currently penciled in at the other safety position.

As a result, the team has shown interest in the former Denver Broncos standout, who spent the 2024 season with a division rival in Atlanta. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared a few weeks back that the Panthers were interested in going after Simmons, and Joe Pearson of The Athletic added the team was in contact with the free agent but nothing was imminent.

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Landing in the right scheme fit is important for Simmons when choosing a new home and in Carolina he'll be able to reunite with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. But, another stipulation by Simmons might have slammed the door shut on Carolina.

"But in terms of where I’m at now, (I’m) being a little bit more picky where we want to go and where we want to call home next … the next two years, a year, whatever it is … but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now." - Justin Simmons, via Sean Keeler of The Denver Post

Panthers aren't quite able to fulfill that desire

Let's be real, the Panthers are still multiple years out from being a true contender in the NFL, but they are headed in the right direction as a franchise.

When it comes to luring in top free agents, it's hard to sell the state of this team to potential one/two year mercenaries. That's why all of the top signings made by the team were for 2+ years with players looking to prove themselves such as Moehrig, Bobby Brown III, and Tershawn Wharton.

From Simmons' perspective, if there's a choice between joining the Panthers or joining a true Super Bowl contender like the Philadelphia Eagles (if the interest is mutual), it's a no-brainer and no one can fault Simmons for making that choice.

One day, the Panthers will be able to bring in top players who see something in what the franchise is building. Best case scenario, Simmons runs out of options and decides to bring his talents to Charlotte. But, I wouldn't count on it after what he said.