2 Panthers among NFL's 100 most important players in 2026

The biggest move that the Carolina Panthers made this offseason was signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to a huge four-year, $120 million contract. How that massive deal ages will go a long way towards determining where the team finishes this year.

>If Phillips lives up to his paycheck and brings Carolina's pass rush out of the basement, then the Panthers are going to be a very tough team to score against. If he doesn't, then we might be looking at one of the worst signings in franchise history.

>Either way, Phillips will have a big impact on the NFC South race. According to Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports, he's one of the NFL's 100 most important players for 2026—coming in at No. 45:

There's never been any question about Phillips' ability. It's all about his health. Last year, he played in all 17 games and posted an 18.8% pressure rate, fourth-highest in the NFL (min. 300 pass-rush snaps), but only five sacks. After signing him to a four-year, $120 million deal, the Panthers hope he can stay healthy and turn more of those pressures into sacks.

Phillips is joined on the list by one of his new teammates in quarterback Bryce Young. And with the possibility of an extension for the former No. 1 overall pick, this season may determine where the organization must go under center.

>Pereles writes of Young:

Young has shown subtle improvements over his career, but he still ranked 29th in net yards per attempt, 28th in expected points added per dropback and 25th in interception rate last year. Size and arm strength remain major issues, even with all of his smarts, slithery pocket escapability and out-of-structure playmaking. The Panthers are intent on winning big after their NFC South title last year, as the Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd signings show. Can Young take a big step, or is this -- a bottom-half quarterback -- just what he is?

Defensively, Phillips is the big x-factor—but how Young does is the real unanswered question for this team. Even if Phillips posts 16.0 sacks and the Panthers finish with a top-five scoring defense, they're not going to win a playoff game if Young continues to fall short of his potential more often than not.

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>This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' Young, Phillips among NFL's most important players in 2026