CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This offseason, the Carolina Panthers aimed to fortify their defense by keeping the unit’s young, promising core of playmakers together. And while that turned out to be an ambitious goal, as free agency’s melee quickly proved, at least one key defender is staying put.

Derrick Brown, the record-setting defensive lineman who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023, agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced on Friday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it is a four-year, $96 million extension that includes $63.165 million in guaranteed money.

The move helps stabilize a defense that was quite good in 2023 and that will undoubtedly look a bit different in 2024 and beyond. Brown’s return comes after the Panthers traded away star pass rusher Brian Burns — who is reportedly being paid $30 million a year by the New York Giants — and after several other defensive departures, including that of breakout interior linebacker Frankie Luvu, veteran safety Vonn Bell and veteran defensive back Donte Jackson. (The team, in response, added pass rushers DJ Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney, as well as a bunch of other young talents.)

Brown’s return is good news for the Panthers’ defense. General manager Dan Morgan, at the NFL scouting combine, said the team would look to extend Brown at some point during the preseason, adding that “Derrick’s a great player, great person, and he embodies what a Panther is.”

The 6-foot-5, 269-pound Brown led the league in tackles among defensive linemen with 103 in his first year under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who has been retained for 2024 as the Dave Canales regime begins. Brown’s big year last season made him the first DL to reach the 100-tackle threshold in a season, according to Stats Pass, which started keeping the stat in 1994. The record was previously set by Miami’s Christian Wilkins, who notched 98 tackles in 2022.

Before Friday, Carolina was projected to have about $3 million in 2024 cap space according to Over The Cap. Brown’s extension should free up some cap space; the 2020 draft pick, on his old deal, had one more year left on his rookie contract plus a one-year team option after that, and was owed about $11.7 million in guaranteed money in 2024.

Brown is now among the top-paid defensive linemen in the league. His $24 million per-year average is behind only Chris Jones of the Chiefs, Christian Wilkins of the Raiders and Justin Madubuike of the Ravens, according to Spotrac.

Analysis: Why bringing Brown to Panthers is so big

It’s no secret that Brown is among the best run stoppers in the NFL. His league-leading tackles number substantiates that. His teammates and coaches echoed that sentiment throughout the season, too — particularly after he was “snubbed” initially from the NFC Pro Bowl roster, an honor that values pass rushing numbers over everything else.

What’s less publicized but equally important? His versatility.

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