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Derrick Brown praised Jaelan Phillips' new four-year, $120 million contract with the Panthers, highlighting the team's efforts to strengthen their defense. The Panthers also signed linebacker Devin Lloyd for three years at $42 million.
Heading into 2026, defensive lineman Derrick Brown remains one of, if not the best football player on the Carolina Panthers' roster. And this weekend's draft will represent the bulk of the work, but the front office has not been idle this offseason in trying to build around him.
The Panthers went right to work in free agency, signing two new pieces to the long-suffering defensive front seven. Their first big splash saw them reel in pass rusher Jaelan Phillips on a four-year, $120 million deal and their second got them linebacker Devin Lloyd on a three-year, $42 million agreement.
While Lloyd seemed like a steal and should significantly glow up the second level of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's unit, the size of Phillips' contract raised the eyebrows of many analysts. Brown knows why the Panthers ponied up, though.
Here's what the Pro Bowl defender had to say about Phillips' pact and what he brings to the table, per team reporter Darin Gantt.
"A lot, right?" Brown replied when asked what Phillips adds. "I mean, the name of the game is get the quarterback, you know, they're paying him a lot to do it. "So, I'm excited to see him go out there and go get it."
Getting to the quarterback is something the Panthers haven't done in a long timeāfinishing 30th, 29th, 32nd and 25th in sacks going back the last four seasons.
Phillips has flashed big potential in the past, posting 8.5 sacks as a rookie for the . But he hasn't matched that number since, and he's going to have to average at least that much per year to justify his new contract.
Jaelan Phillips signed a four-year contract worth $120 million with the Carolina Panthers.
Derrick Brown believes Jaelan Phillips brings significant value to the team, justifying the large contract.
The Panthers also signed linebacker Devin Lloyd to a three-year, $42 million deal.

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Fortunately, it's not all on Phillips. The Panthers appear to have hit on something potentially special in 2025 second-round pick Nic Scourton. How big his (and 2025 third-rounder Princely Umanmielen's) second-year jump could be the real x-factor for this pass rush in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers DL Derrick Brown comments on OLB Jaelen Phillips' contract