Panthers To Sign LB Devin Lloyd

The three-year contract is worth $45MM and includes $25MM in guaranteed money. Lloyd may not have reached the very top of the linebacker market at $20MM per year as he was hoping (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), but he will still come in with the fourth-highest annual pay at the position after receiving Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2025.

Lloyd, 27, was a highly-touted prospect out of Utah in 2022 who landed in Jacksonville via the No. 27 overall pick. He took over a starting job as a rookie, but struggled mightily in his transition to the NFL. Lloyd finished the 2022 season with a 48.1 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the ninth-worst among starting linebackers.

Two years of improvement followed. Then, in 2025, Lloyd emerged as a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. Though his tackle production lagged relative to his first three seasons, he recorded a career-high five interceptions, allowed just a 57.1 passer rating when targeted, and added 28 pressures as a pass rusher, the third-most among off-ball linebackers.

The Panthers, who also inquired after Tremaine Edmunds before he signed with the Giants, will be banking on Lloyd to have a similar impact. He will slot in as Carolina’s starting linebacker next to Trevin Wallace, a 2024 third-rounder who has shown promise but missed nine games due to injury since being drafted.

Lloyd will likely take over the green dot role in a Panthers defense will also feature edge Jaelan Phillips in 2026. The two former first-rounders will hope to continue the unit’s ascension in Carolina’s third year under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this story.