The Panthers are bringing in another running back.
Carolina announced on Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with AJ Dillon on a one-year deal.
Dillon, 27, spent last season with the Eagles after playing his first five seasons with the Packers. He appeared in just seven games, recording 60 yards rushing on 12 carries. He also caught three passes for 21 yards.
A second-round pick in 2020, Dillon’s best season came in 2021 when he registered 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.
A neck injury prematurely ended his 2024 season, as he was placed on injured reserve in August and was out for the year.
In his 67 career games with 11 starts, Dillon has totaled 2,488 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns and caught 89 passes for 784 yards with two TDs.
The Panthers signed quarterback Kenny Pickett last week to back up Bryce Young, and Pickett says he’s confident he’s the right man for the job.
“I think [Bryce and I are] very similar in how we play,” Pickett said, via Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com. “I think we both operate well from the pocket, and when things break down, we can make plays on the move. I think Coach [Dave Canales] does a lot of things play action-wise, boots, you get out on the edge, and we both can throw the ball well on the run. So, I think I think we kind of complement each other in what we do. We’re excited to learn more about how he sees things, talk X’s and O’s, and get to know him better as a person first. But yeah, I think it’s definitely exciting being in a room where you feel like we kind of play the same way and we kind of, the same mold of what they’re looking for here.”
Pickett has known Young since 2021, when they were both finalists for the Heisman Trophy. (Young won the award; Pickett finished third.) Pickett said a friendship developed there.
“We spent a lot of time together at the Heisman,” Pickett said. “Obviously, being on the Heisman stage together is special, you know, not everybody can say that. He’s a great guy, I really respect him, his game, and what he’s done so far in his career. Just looking forward to adding another element to the quarterback room, and you know. Championship. That’s the goal.”
A couple months after meeting Young at the Heisman ceremony, Pickett met Canales because Canales — then the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach — was getting to know Pickett as part of the Seahawks’ draft preparations. The Seahawks didn’t draft Pickett, but Canales made an impression on him.
“I was really excited about the opportunity to play for him four years ago, and now that I had a chance to play in the NFL and I watched a lot of tape throughout the weeks and Panthers and he was in Tampa and Seattle, seeing all the different things that he does, I feel like I fit it really well.”
Free agent defensive end DJ Wonnum is signing with the Lions on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $6 million, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
Wonnum, 28, visited the team on Tuesday.
His signing gives the Lions three true edge rushers on their roster, joining Aidan Hutchinson and Ahmed Hassanein. Hassanein didn’t play in his rookie season after a pectoral injury in the preseason.
He spent the past two seasons in Carolina after signing a two-year, $12.5 million deal as a free agent.
Wonnum totaled 79 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, four passes defensed and a forced fumble with the Panthers. He missed time with a quad injury in 2024.
The Vikings selected Wonnum in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He has 30 career sacks in six seasons, including eight for Minnesota in 2021 and ’23.
The Panthers are holding onto their punter.
NFL Media reports that they have agreed to terms on a new deal with Sam Martin. It’s a two-year contract worth up to $5 million.
Martin signed a one-year deal with the team as a free agent last offseason and handled the punting and holding duties in every game for the NFC South champs. Martin had an average of 40.5 net yards per punt in 2025.
Martin played for Buffalo, Denver and Detroit before heading to the Panthers. His career average is 41 net yards per kick over 13 NFL seasons.
The Panthers are also set to have kicker Ryan Fitzpatrick and long snapper J.J. Jansen back for the 2026 campaign.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright’s play with the Bears during the 2025 season landed him a contract with the Jets and it earned him the most performance-based pay in the league for last year as well.
The NFL announced that Wright earned more than $1.44 million in performance-based pay. The bonus more than doubles Wright’s base salary for the season.
Wright signed with the Bears after being released by the Vikings last April. He was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 80 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during the regular season.
The performance-based pay fund is part of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement to compensate all players based on a formula encompassing their playing time and salary. It paid out more than $542 million for the 2025 season.
Browns safety Ronnie Hickman earned over $1.293 million for second place and tackle Elijah Wilkinson earned over $1.272 million for his work with the Falcons. Wilkinson has since signed with the Cardinals.
Panthers safety Nick Scott, former Commanders guard Chris Paul, Ravens guard Andrew Vorhees, Vikings defensive end Jalen Redmond, Steelers guard Mason McCormick, Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner, and Patriots safety Craig Woodson make up the rest of the top 10 recipients of performance-based pay for 2025.
