Panthers’ pass rusher nearly returned for playoff run. Now set for 2026 revival
Pat Jones almost got his chance.
The Panthers’ veteran outside linebacker was on the cusp of returning from a procedure that fixed a significant herniated disk in his back. Sidelined since Week 6’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, Jones could have been reinserted into the lineup if the Panthers had stuck in the playoffs for a few more weeks.
Instead, Jones won’t have to rush back. He can continue to build up his strength and get ready for an important 2026 season.
“I feel like I was getting real close,” Jones told The Charlotte Observer on Sunday. “It was definitely something we were taking day by day, but it was definitely something I was looking forward to each game. Keep going and each game we had, I would have been closer and closer.”
Jones, who signed a two-year, $15 million deal during last year’s free agency, will be a free agent again in 2027.
He needs to have a big 2026 campaign after producing nine tackles and a sack in four games this past season.
“This is my first season really missing time like this,” Jones said. “So, this offseason is definitely personal for me. It’s going to be a lot of work put in — I’m going to really focus on my body. Really, just being the best version I can be, and just really take that next step.”
Jones seems intent on regaining the momentum he had before a pile of bodies fell on top of him in Week 6.
He feels great after back surgery, even if the initial diagnosis sounded pretty serious.
“I was having a hard time walking, so I had to get an MRI,” Jones said. “They got the MRI and said it was a really large herniation, pretty much. ... I just had to let it heal, strengthen everything back up, and get my strength back. So, I was just waiting, getting back into a groove, get everything back in shape, and I’m ready to go now.”
With Jones sidelined, the Panthers counted on rookie Nic Scourton, a second-round pick, to start opposite veteran D.J. Wonnum.
Scourton proved be ready for the bigger role, as he collected nearly half the sacks produced by the position group (11.5) this season. Scourton’s five sacks tied defensive end Derrick Brown’s team-leading total on the year.
Scourton also produced a new franchise high in pressures for a rookie with 34.
“It’s great just to see Nic go out there and ball,” Jones said. “I’ve been trying to help him out as much as I can, so whenever he goes out there and makes plays — I can’t make them, so that’s damn near the closest thing I can do to make a play, by trying to help him make some plays. So, to see him go out there and know that he’s going to be out there with me next year — that’s just going to be fun, just helping him develop so I can have somebody else out there with me to really go get it.”
With Jones, Scourton and third-round pick Princely Umanmielen set to return in 2026, the Panthers have a core forged in the room. But Wonnum is headed toward the open market, and Carolina can afford to upgrade the starting spot next to Scourton or Jones in the coming year.
Still, the idea of a healthy, returning Jones gives the Panthers a bit more punch from the group than it had to end its short postseason run.
