It didn’t take Devin Lloyd long to make an impact.
His first two NFL games away from the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the Carolina Panthers, have been two of the best performances of his career.
And on Sunday in Week 2, he actually put together a set of stats never seen before in the history of the NFL.
Devin Lloyd’s NFL History
Let’s start with those Week 2 stats, which came during the Panthers’ dominant 34-3 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Lloyd made nine tackles. Seven of them were solo, and two assisted. Two of the tackles were for a loss, including one sack.
The former first-round Jaguars pick also intercepted two passes, one apiece from Cooper Rush and Jack Strand.
And on the second pick, which was the first pass of Strand’s NFL career, Lloyd took it back to the house. It was a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown, and it ensured Lloyd had put together a day no one had seen before in this league.
This is the official set of statistics that made Lloyd’s day a historic feat:
Devin Lloyd is the first linebacker in league history to record 8+ tackles, 2+ INTs, a TD, and a sack in the same game.
(sacks became an official statistic in 1982) pic.twitter.com/6aMi0RVC4T
— QBgami (@QBgami) September 21, 2026
One fan’s reply summed up the excitement that Lloyd’s performance was bringing to Carolina:
Kuechly-esque game man, 2015 against Dallas thanksgiving Luke had 2 INTs, one for a TD, 7 tackles, just no sacks haha
thank you Lloyd, continue the line of dominant LBs please!
— Sean Deeter (deadone) (@34Deeter) September 21, 2026
Week 1 had been rougher from an optics standpoint, as the Panthers gave up 59 points in a loss to the Chicago Bears.
Even in that game, though, Lloyd was everywhere. He made 13 tackles, including nine of them solo. The problem is that more of those were down the field as the Bears kept moving the ball in chunks.
On Sunday, admittedly against lesser QBs, Lloyd controlled the whole game defensively.
From Jaguars to Panthers
Lloyd was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Jaguars out of Utah.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2025 for Jacksonville.
Lloyd had more than 100 tackles in each of his first three seasons with the Jags, and then last year, he made 82 tackles but grew in other ways — intercepting a career-high five passes and returning one of them 99 yards to the house.
When he reached free agency, Lloyd signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Panthers.
So far, it’s looking like money well spent for Carolina, and the Jaguars are probably missing some of his splash-play ability amid a 1-1 start that included a Sunday loss in Denver to the Broncos.
Devin Lloyd Makes NFL History After Joining Panthers From Jaguars