The Carolina Panthers are just 3-5 on the NFL season, but they sit atop the putrid NFC South division heading into Week 10.
As a result, the Panthers weren’t too interested in selling at the trade deadline, so while defensive tackle Derrick Brown was floated as a potential candidate to be moved before Tuesday, he stayed put.
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In fact, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have reported that Carolina did receiver trade inquiries on Brown, but it rebuffed all of them.
Brown signed a four-year, $96 million extension with the Panthers in April 2024 and is under contract through 2028, so Carolina has no reason to trade him now.
The 28-year-old is widely viewed as one of the best interior defenders in football, so it makes sense for the Panthers to keep him at least through the end of the season.
Could Carolina Panthers trade Derrick Brown this offseason?
Oct 25, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Of course, the offseason could be a different story depending on what Carolina does the rest of the way in 2026.
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While the Panthers are in first place, there is no question the team has been slightly disappointing this year after winning the NFC South last season and appearing to be an ascending ballclub.
If Carolina flames out the rest of the way this year, the Panthers could ultimately entertain Brown trade discussions come the offseason in order to recoup some draft capital.
It should be noted, however, that any Brown trade before June 1 would result in a $33.15 million dead-cap hit, which is another key reason why Carolina decided to hold on to the former Pro Bowler.
Perhaps the Panthers will consider moving Brown after June 1 so the financial hit is not nearly as large. The tradeoff is that Carolina then wouldn’t be able to get any draft capital from it until 2028.
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