The Carolina Panthers re-signed defensive end Charles Johnson to a two-year, $9.5 million deal on Tuesday. Johnson is the fourth member of the defensive line to be re-signed by the Panthers since the end of the regular season. Defensive ends Wes Horton and Mario Addison also re-signed with Carolina, with defensive tackle Kawann Short getting the franchise tag placed on him. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the deal for Johnson is worth $9.5 million, per source.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network also reported that the two-year deal is worth $9.5 million, and that Johnson will likely end his career in Carolina.
Carolina is re-signing DE Charles Johnson to a two-year, $9.5 million deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2017
Carolina Panthers Re-Sign Defensive End Charles Johnson to a Two-Year Deal
Johnson, 30, was selected in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers out of the University of Georgia. Due to entrenched veterans on the defensive line, which was led by Julius Peppers, Johnson didn’t see much of the field his rookie year.
Johnson wouldn’t get an opportunity to start until 2010, when star defensive end Julius Peppers signed with the Green Bay Packers. Johnson would go on to not only have a sensational season, but a breakout season as well. He started all 16 games for the Panthers in 2010, recording 62 tackles, 11.5 sacks (8th in the NFL) and one forced fumble.
In 2011, Johnson would re-sign with the Panthers for $72 million on a six-year contract, making him the highest paid player in the NFL for that season. Johnson would go on to record 41 sacks over the next four seasons, which ranked him 11th in the NFL over that span. In 2016, the Panthers released Johnson, but he returned on a one-year deal worth $3 million. He would finish 2016 with 26 tackles and four sacks.
Johnson has spent all eleven seasons with the Carolina Panthers, and ranks second in Panthers history with 67.5 sacks, while recording 305 tackles and 19 forced fumbles.
