Panthers sign former Packers offensive tackle with Ickey Ekwonu sidelined
The Panthers have found their left tackle insurance policy for 2026.
The team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker on Friday, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the agreement is worth a max value of $10 million.
Walker, 26, had been projected as the league’s top offensive tackle option on the open market by several national analysts prior to free agency this week. However, the lineman settled for a one-year pact with the Panthers after going through the first five days of negotiations.
Walker will almost certainly be the first man up at left tackle this offseason as former first-round pick Ickey Ekwonu recovers from patellar tendon surgery. Walker’s arrival also allows the Panthers to be patient in the upcoming NFL Draft with the offensive tackle position.
Getting to know Rasheed Walker
Walker, a 2022 seventh-round pick out of Penn State, has played in 51 games over the past three seasons. The 6-foot-6, 324-pound lineman started in all but three of those matchups.
Last season, he logged 986 snaps at left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF credited him with just five sacks allowed in 17 games last year.
Walker was arrested at LaGuardia Airport in New York in January and charged with gun possession without proper credentials, according to the Associated Press. Police said Walker attempted to check a firearm with Delta, the AP reported.
Walker’s attorney told the AP that the firearm was unloaded and secured, but Walker didn’t have a license to carry it in New York. The lawyer also said he expected the case to be dismissed.
Why Walker made sense for the Panthers
Despite officially signing former Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Stone Forsythe on Friday, the Panthers clearly needed to invest in better options at left tackle with Ekwonu on the road to recovery.
Walker has three years of starting experience on the blind side, so the Panthers are leaving little to chance at a premium position. The reported max value of the deal, at $10 million, is a relative bargain for Walker, especially with Ekwonu already taking up $18 million in salary cap on the final year of his rookie contract.
Walker’s arrival is a twofold win for GM Dan Morgan. On one hand, the Panthers now have a proven left tackle, and they no longer need to feel the urge to rush Ekwonu back into the lineup this season. On the other hand, the Panthers don’t need to force an early pick at left tackle in April’s NFL Draft.
If Walker’s legal situation is resolved, and he has a standout season, he could stick long-term in Carolina. In theory, Walker could play his way into being Ekwonu’s long-haul successor, especially if Ekwonu isn’t able to regain form after his injury, which was sustained in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams in January.
The Panthers entered the week with just two tackles under contract: Ekwonu and starting right tackle Taylor Moton. So, Morgan needed to add multiple tackles to the depth chart for offseason program depth, at minium. While Forsythe agreed to terms rather quickly, Walker is without question the more important addition.
With former swing tackle Yosh Nijman retiring Wednesday, the Panthers were compelled to look elsewhere for Ekwonu insurance. Like Nijman before him, Walker is coming off a multiyear run with Green Bay.
Panthers re-sign depth linebacker
The Panthers re-signed inside linebacker and special teams contributor Claudin Cherelus on Friday.
The fourth-year defender agreed to a one-year pact with $450,000 in guaranteed money, a league source told The Charlotte Observer. Cherelus, who was set to become a restricted free agent this week, ended up testing unrestricted free agency after the Panthers decided not to offer him a qualifying tender.
Cherelus initially joined the Panthers in 2023 after being claimed off waivers from the New York Jets. The Alcorn State alum appeared in 33 games (six starts) during his first three seasons in Carolina. He produced 60 tackles, a QB hit and a pass breakup in that span.
Cherelus, during his tenure, has never played less than 57% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps in a season. He started a career-high four games this past year, as Trevin Wallace dealt with a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery.
Cherelus was one of four pending restricted free agents on the Panthers’ roster entering the offseason. But just like tight end James Mitchell, outside linebacker Thomas Incoom and defensive end LaBryan Ray before him, Cherelus re-signed with Carolina without receiving a tender.
Along with those four returning players, the Panthers have also re-signed long snapper JJ Jansen, cornerbacks Robert Rochell and Akayleb Evans, outside linebacker Trevis Gipson, wide receiver David Moore and safety Isaiah Simmons.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
