Here's what Panthers DL Derrick Brown had to say about OLB Jaelan Phillips' big contract

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 time—finishing 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.