Analyst believes Panthers should reunite with Pro Bowl pass rusher

Do the Carolina Panthers , even following a flurry of free-agent signings, still have room for a reunion? In finding some last-minute value across the league, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently paired each NFL team with one remaining free agent. When it comes to the Panthers, who have already reeled in one of the market's very top pass rushers in Jaelan Phillips, he highlights a pretty familiar name—outside linebacker Haason Reddick.

Davenport writes: While Phillips' arrival should improve a defense that logged just 30 sacks a season ago (third-fewest in the league), there's still precious little depth on the edge behind Phillips and Nic Scourton. And after last year's surprise playoff run, by the time Carolina goes on the board at pick No. 19 this year's top edge-rusher prospects in the draft will be long gone.

It has been a while since Haason Reddick was a force off the edge—his last 10-sack season came with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. However, the 31-year-old had four such seasons in a row with three teams from 2020-2023, including 68 stops and 11 sacks in his lone season with the Panthers in 2021. Reddick spent 2021, one of his nine NFL seasons, as a member of the Panthers.

That short stay resulted in a team-leading 11. 0 sacks and two forced fumbles over 16 games for the former first-round pick. After Carolina opted not to bring him back, Reddick joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022—where he posted a career-high 16.