Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) celebrates after a sack against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Panthers' huge IDL deal gets maligned by NFL analyst

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 7:41 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers nearly agreed to terms with the best defensive tackle on the market before the New England Patriots swooped in. After that, they pivoted to alternative options and agreed with Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton. Wharton, a two-time Super Bowl champ, had a breakout season with the Kansas City Chiefs

The signing of Wharton is cheaper than Milton Williams was going to be at three years and $57 million. Still, in the eyes of Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame, it's an exorbitant cost for a player who seemingly isn't worth such an investment.

"It’s an enormous payday for Wharton, who had a career year with 6.5 sacks in 2024. While Wharton deserved a significant bump, this is enormous money for a player who has enjoyed one above-average campaign and only once has exceeded 50% of the defensive snaps in a season," Verderame said in giving this deal a brutal D grade. "At 26 years old, there’s ample room to grow, but the Panthers are betting on Wharton not only getting better but becoming a Pro Bowl-caliber player to justify the contract."

Wharton slots in alongside Derrick Brown, who is returning from injury in 2025. While the Panthers ran out a porous combination of Shy Tuttle, LaBryan Ray, and other ineffective players, Carolina now has two dependable if not good players on that interior.

The Panthers' current depth chart, which uses Ejiro Evero's 3-4 scheme, has Wharton backing up Brown, but it's possible that Wharton slides over to the left defensive end spot with a nose tackle, presumably Bobby Brown III, between the two players.

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

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