Panthers Re-Sign DE Charles Johnson To A One-Year, $3M Deal

March 9, 2016

Update:

The Carolina Panthers officially announced the signing of DE Charles Johnson on Wednesday.

It's official! Charles Johnson is back with the #Panthers! pic.twitter.com/Oa5dL926ro

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 9, 2016

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that after visiting with the Giants and Buccaneers, veteran DE Charles Johnson is planning to re-sign with the Panthers.

Joe Person reports that Johnson receives a one-year, $3 million deal from Panthers.
Person adds that Johnson actually turned down offers of $6 million per year from other teams to be back with the Panthers.
Josina Anderson spoke with Johnson who said that he plans on signing a one-year deal with the Panthers.

“I came pretty close, but ultimately my heart is in Carolina,” Johnson tells Anderson. “It’s not about the money. Carolina is home and I wouldn’t have been happy if I went somewhere else.”

After being cut loose by the Panthers last week, Johnson took his first visit to New York to meet with the Giants. The Buccaneers brought him for a visit earlier today, but it appears as though he felt his best option was to return to Carolina where he’s played his entire nine-year NFL career.

Johnson, 29, was entering the sixth year of his six-year, $76 million contract when he was released in a move that freed up $11 million in available cap space for the Panthers.

In 2015, Johnson has appeared in nine games and recorded 12 tackles, a sack and a pass defense for the Panthers. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 37 defensive end out of 110 qualifying players.

We have him featured in our Top 100 – 2016 Free Agents list.