Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) on the sidelines in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Panthers’ FA signing opens up on Derrick Brown’s ‘presence’ on defense

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Injuries are a part of football, and that includes beyond the games themselves. Be it individual or offseason workouts, OTAs, minicamps or training camp, they happen. Some complain about the relevancy of preseason games and a big gripe is players getting hurt. As we have seen continuously, there are a lot of ways to get banged up when it comes to this physical sport.

Longtime Carolina Panthers’ writer Joseph Person of The Athletic had the latest when it came to Dave Canales’s squad, updating the status of performers such as guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt—the latter a Pro Bowler in his first year with the organization in 2024. There was also some welcome news when it came to Carolina’s top defensive player.

Panthers’ DL Derrick Brown was back at practice

“It wasn’t all bad on the injury front,” said Person. “Defensive end Derrick Brown, another Pro Bowl player, practiced for the first time since the first week of training camp. Brown, who missed the final 16 games last year after knee surgery, has been recovering from a rib/oblique issue.”

This offseason, general manager Dan Morgan invested a lot into fixing the team’s pass-rushing issues. He used second- and third-round draft choices on Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, respectively. He also signed former Vikings outside linebacker Patrick Jones II, who said (via Person) that he “was glad to have Brown back.”

““He’s a great player,” added the edge rusher. “So just his presence alone out there, you can feel the difference. You can feel the energy, the physicality on the line. It’s just great having him back out there with us.”

Brown enjoyed a huge year in 2023 in which he totaled 103 tackles and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Having him back on the field this season is essential if coordinator Ejiro Evero’s defensive unit is to rebound from a forgettable showing in 2024.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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