The Carolina Panthers have made a significant splash in free agency this offseason, and that continues with the signing of one of the top-ranked offensive linemen in this free agent class.
According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, the Panthers are signing former Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal worth about $10 million. The move comes after the Panthers lost left tackle Ikem Ekwonu to a ruptured patella tendon in the playoffs, and tackle Yosh Nijman retired this week.
Walker is entering his fifth season after playing his entire career up to this point with the Packers. He was drafted in the seventh round out of Penn State in 2022. Walker was ranked number one on ESPN NFL writer Matt Bowen’s list of remaining free agents.
Needed Depth
Rasheed Walker is taking a chance on himself by signing a one-year deal with the Panthers. The three-year starter will be tasked with protecting Bryce Young’s blindside, and if he succeeds, a long-term deal with the Panthers could be in his future.
After signing Stone Forsythe, the Panthers had just two other tackles under contract: Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu. Walker gives the team much-needed depth and a proven starter. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, in his March 13 article on the Walker signing, wrote that Walker’s signing benefits the Panthers on two fronts.
“Walker’s arrival is a two-fold win for GM Dan Morgan. On one hand, the Panthers now have a proven left tackle, and they no longer need to feel the urge to rush Ekwonu back into the lineup this season. On the other hand, the Panthers don’t need to force an early pick at left tackle in April’s NFL Draft,” Kaye wrote.
With Ekwonu in the last year of his contract and likely to miss most of this upcoming season due to his injury, the Panthers will have some tough decisions to make next offseason. For now, the move makes perfect sense for where the franchise is currently.
“A” Grade
The Panthers have been active in free agency with their signings of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, but Rasheed Walker might prove to be the most impactful move of the offseason for the team. Bryce Young is the Panthers’ franchise quarterback, and keeping him healthy and with time to throw is of the utmost importance. Last season, in Green Bay, Walker was in the 85th percentile in pass-block win rate among tackles.
ESPN’s Seth Walder had high praise for the move, giving the Panthers an “A” grade on the Walker deal for getting such a bargain on a high-caliber player.
“The price of this deal might be the most shocking of free agency thus far. Walker was widely considered the best free agent tackle this year and was expected to receive a large contract,” Walder wrote. “But his market developed very slowly, so he has signed a one-year deal with a maximum value of $10 million — meaning the base value is below that — per NFL Network. For context, my free agency contract model projected a deal averaging $21.8 million annually for Walker. Instead, it’s a short-term commitment for less than half that.”
Walker’s signing is yet another indication that the Panthers aren’t content to sneak into the playoffs as they did last season; they intend to be a top contender in 2026.
Panthers Sign Top Ranked Free Agent Offensive Lineman