CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In their ongoing quest to find a middle linebacker to replace perennial Pro Bowl standout Luke Kuechly, the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday agreed to a two-year deal with Denzel Perryman, league sources told ESPN.
The former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker (5-foot-11, 24 pounds) will replace Tahir Whitehead, who was signed to a one-year deal last offseason after Kuechly retired after only eight NFL seasons.
Whitehead’s inconsistency and inability to play from sideline to sideline — as Kuechly did — led to him starting only nine of the 14 games he played. He was deemed expendable after the season.
Perryman, a second-round pick out of Miami in 2015, had 349 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions in six seasons with the Chargers. He was given a two-year, $12 million extension in 2019, but chose to explore the market this season.
Known for his hard-hitting and toughness as a tackler, Perryman is versatile, as well. One of his career highlights was an interception deep in the middle of the field against Atlanta in 2016.
Perryman is the third player the Panthers reached deals with in free agency. The other two are former Dallas offensive tackle Cam Erving and guard Pat Elflein from the New York Jets.