Why Austin Corbett returned to Panthers without guaranteed starting spot
Austin Corbett understands why he’s in the position he’s in with the Panthers this summer.
The veteran lineman has undergone three surgeries over the past two calendar years. And he’s played in just nine games over the past two seasons, while still being relatively new to the center position.
Corbett, simply based on his career exploits, would have had interest elsewhere, possibly as an immediate starter, in free agency. But Corbett, 29, decided to return to the Panthers on an incentive-laden, one-year deal before the market opened in March.
While he competed for the center job last year, his eventual anointment with the first-team offense seemed like a foregone conclusion throughout the summer. This year, he will battle against Cade Mays in earnest.
Despite the position battle, Corbett wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, especially with head coach Dave Canales in charge.
“From just the family side, we absolutely love it here — we’re going to live here long term,” Corbett told The Observer last week. “Being in the locker room, seeing the success that we had toward the end of the year, and that momentum, being around Dave for a full year, and seeing … how well he did in his first year and just knowing the staff, this front office, the coaches and and being a part of that, like it’s not something to just walk away from.”
Corbett arrived in Charlotte in 2022. He was arguably the team’s best starting lineman during his first year with Carolina, helping anchor a run-heavy offense during the second half of the campaign under interim coach Steve Wilks. But in the 2022 finale against New Orleans, the then-right guard tore the ACL in his left knee.
The injury, and subsequent surgery, put Corbett on the shelf through the first six games of the 2023 season. He didn’t get to block for Bryce Young, who was in his rookie campaign, until Week 8. And as the chaos of Frank Reich’s lone season as head coach continued to spread, Corbett tore the MCL in his left knee in only his fourth game back. He underwent another knee surgery and was shelved for the rest of 2023.
Corbett was given a new lease on his career last offseason when the Panthers decided to move him to center in Canales’ first year on the job.
He was healthy and encouraged by the early success of the position switch. But in Week 5, he tore his left biceps.
He had season-ending surgery and was forced to watch as Mays and Brady Christensen formed an admirable replacement platoon.
“It’s such a crazy game — you can’t control it, especially with these three surgeries,” Corbett said.
Following last year’s 5-12 campaign, Corbett, Christensen and Mays were all set to test some form of free agency in March.
Mays received as restricted tender, while Corbett and Christensen prepared for the open market. Mays eventually bypassed restricted free agency, and Corbett and Christensen re-signed on one-year contracts with guaranteed base salaries.
“I don’t think any of us really kind of expected (the team) to keep all three of us,” Corbett said. “But at the end of the day, it makes sense. Like we all stepped in there and we all played our roles.”
Corbett had anticipated signing a one-year deal as he recovered from biceps surgery. He also wasn’t shy about stating his desire to return.
While injuries and a lack of recent film led to changes in his perspective, Corbett still wants to lead the offensive line in Week 1. But that outlook hasn’t affected his strong relationships with Christensen and Mays, whom he has mentored since the 2022 season.
“We all understand it’s a business,” Corbett said. “We understand the best five are gonna be out there and we all want to be a part of that. You wouldn’t be in the NFL if that’s not what you’re a part of, like it’s pretty straightforward. I think it’s just an understanding and respect for one another that we get to go compete, we get to do it together. We are all gonna do it for the betterment of the team.”
Corbett doesn’t definitively know what his job will look like in 2025. But he is confident in his team, and he has bought into what Canales and GM Dan Morgan have built. He wants to be part of the ultimate payoff.
That’s why he’s still here. That’s why he’s still competing. And that’s why he looks at this one-year deal as a stepping stone in a longer journey.
“Like, why would I want to walk away from somewhere where I know (it) is the right situation?” Corbett said. “It feels good, like the energy in the locker room and the energy in the city, and I know this is where the turning (point) is coming. I want to be a part of that.
“That’s why I came here in the first place, and I want to continue on that and to be here and to help out and be a part of that change. It’s coming.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
