NFL spending spree
The Panthers opened free agency with headline deals — Jaelan Phillips signed 4 years/$120M with $80M guaranteed, Devin Lloyd agreed to 3 years/$45M with $25M guaranteed, and OT Rasheed Walker took a 1-year, $10M pact — all moves to shore up Carolina’s front seven and line [CBS Sports]. Meanwhile the 49ers added veteran WR Mike Evans on a three-year, $60.4M contract that analysts call the missing piece for a Super Bowl push [ESPN].
Jaelan Phillips was traded from the Miami Dolphins to the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 3, 2025, a deadline-day move that sent a 2026 third-round pick back to Miami. (espn.com) Phillips missed time in 2023 with a ruptured Achilles on Nov. 25, 2023, then suffered a partial ACL tear in September 2024, medical setbacks teams scrutinized during his free-agency visit process. (nfl.com) Devin Lloyd finished the 2025 season as an Associated Press second-team All‑Pro, a recognition announced Jan. 10, 2026, after a campaign that included five interceptions. (jaguars.com) Lloyd’s 2025 stat line featured a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown against Kansas City, the longest interception return recorded in his game log that season. (espn.com) Rasheed Walker started 48 games for the Green Bay Packers after being selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, making him a one-year veteran option to replace injured tackle depth in Carolina. (jsonline.com) Walker arrives following Ikem Ekwonu’s ruptured patellar tendon in Carolina’s wild-card loss, an injury the team has said could sideline Ekwonu for the bulk of the 2026 campaign. (nfl.com) Carolina cleared additional room before free agency by restructuring defensive tackle Derrick Brown’s deal, moves that Sports Illustrated reported generated just over $13 million in immediate cap space ahead of the legal tampering window. (pantherswire.usatoday.com) San Francisco’s announcement noted Mike Evans’ 12-year tenure in Tampa Bay and franchise records (866 receptions, 13,052 receiving yards, 108 TDs), while contract breakdowns show the 49ers used void years and minimal guaranteed salary at signing to keep Evans’ 2026 cap charge modest. (49ers.com)
