‘Not acceptable’ — Panthers GM Dan Morgan says what needed to be said about one of the Panthers’ more pressing issues going into 2026
It’s clear the Carolina Panthers general manager has a primary focus this offseason.
The Carolina Panthers largely overachieved during the 2025-26 season after winning the NFC South title, albeit with a 8-9 record. But, the team still made some noise during the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams and had big wins during the regular season that proved this team is ready to compete.
“We want this to be the norm,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said on Thursday, via WFNZ. “We want this to be the standard of where we’re doing this every year. We just got to put the work in and we gotta get going.”
A very critical offseason looms for Morgan and head coach Dave Canales. The Panthers proved this season that the foundation is now in place with quarterback Bryce Young at the center of it. But, the job doesn’t stop there, and the Panthers can’t afford to be complacent.
Now is the time to push the gas pedal down and really rev things up over the next few months, and that’s the message the team’s top executive and head coach have been sending all week long.
Dan Morgan has a clear idea of what the primary focus should be in terms of roster improvement
“I think our pass rush, obviously to me and as everyone in the building would tell you, wasn’t up to par,” Morgan added. “We had the second lowest pressure rate in the league this year. Obviously, that is not acceptable. If you’re not protecting the quarterback and you’re not affecting the quarterback, you’re not going to win many games in this league. Especially at a consistent level.”
That’s a pretty firm stance from the team’s general manager and a clear sign of where his mind is toward improving this roster even more going into 2026, and he’s not wrong.
The Panthers offense had some inconsistencies, which is to be expected with a young quarterback leading the way. The defense, however, can certainly improve even more, even despite the strides the unit took this past season compared to how things looked in 2024.
With defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero confirmed to return next season (depending on the head coach carousel around the league), adding the right personnel is the only other viable option to creating real improvements beyond developing the young players.
Speaking of the pass rush specifically, Morgan went out to add some bodies to the defensive front last offseason by signing Tershawn Wharton, Patrick Jones II, and Bobby Brown III in free agency while drafting high-upside rookies off the edge in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen.
Scourton proved to be the most exciting addition made to the defensive front after co-leading the team with 5.0 sacks alongside defensive tackle Derrick Brown. Those other four players combined for 5.0 sacks. In terms of pressure, Brown and Scourton led the team with 39 and 37 respectively with D.J. Wonnum and A’Shawn Robinson adding 31 pressures apiece.
Morgan’s comments made it clear that wasn’t good enough production out of that group that he made a point to invest in this offseason. The only player set for free agency in that group of eight defensive linemen is Wonnum, which opens up a hole off the edge opposite Scourton. If Morgan is really eager to aggressively boost the pass rush this offseason, there’s an obvious target to go after.
Trey Hendrickson can give the Panthers everything they’re looking for in 2026
There’s only one real pass rusher hitting the free agent market this offseason that can give Morgan what he’s looking for to help create more pass rush defensively. That player is four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
After playing out the 2025 season on a restructured one-year deal, Hendrickson is finally set to hit the open market and be available with tons of potential suitors lining up around the league. Last August, during his holdout in training camp, the Panthers were one of the team’s listed as being interested in making a trade for Hendrickson.
At this point in his career, Hendrickson will be looking for his ideal situation to chose from. Carolina might not be the fancy option many top free agents would initially consider, but Morgan believes the Panthers showed enough promise this season to reel in a big fish.
“Everybody was watching that game, including potential free agents down the line,” Morgan said on The Kyle Bailey Show. “I think it’s a really attractive place. We have a young and energetic head coach, we have a great staff, we have a great building. The culture around here, everybody’s moving in the same direction. We feel really good about the direction that we’re headed.”
Reeling in a player like Hendrickson, or another big name defensive player, would be a massive swing by Morgan and help continue building the Panthers into a sustained winner and playoff caliber team.
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