New Carolina Panthers LB isn’t fazed by much. But this surprised him in free agency
Ask the Carolina Panthers’ newly signed inside linebacker about the general noise around him, and you’ll learn he’s a tough guy to faze.
Case in point:
When Devin Lloyd was asked by a reporter on Thursday about the Jaguars’ decision to not pick up his fifth-year option before the 2025 season, he said it didn’t affect him all that much. The work is what mattered, he asserted. And that never changed. He “just went out and attacked each day,” he said.
But there was one thing that stunned him a bit this offseason: the market for linebackers like himself.
Lloyd ultimately signed a three-year deal worth up to $41.9 million, according to Over The Cap. That’s on par with Patrick Queen of the Steelers and Quay Walker of the Raiders. For someone so versatile, Lloyd indicated that he expected the number to be a bit higher.
“It was (surprising),” Lloyd said. “But that’s just the way the market went this year. That’s what it was.”
Take a look at his impact in 2025, and you’ll understand his surprise.
Lloyd, 27, had a wonderful season in his final year with the Jaguars. And how do you quantify “wonderful”? Take your pick of metric.
Start with his coverage. Lloyd finished with seven passes defended and a position-best five interceptions, one of which he took 99 yards for a touchdown. He also played 16 games (15 in the regular season and one in the playoffs) and finished with 87 tackles, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks and a career-high 10 QB hits.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound playmaker finished with the third-best defensive grade among all linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, behind only San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Detroit’s Jack Campbell.
Devin Lloyd’s ‘one-year, prove-it deal’ in 2025
Such numbers yielded the first Pro Bowl season for the former Utah Ute — and made it tough for the Jaguars to keep him.
The team put an offer on the table, Lloyd confirmed Thursday, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from testing the market. And Jacksonville didn’t franchise-tag Lloyd, either. After all, franchise-tag tenders for inside linebackers are the same for OLBs/pass rushers; if the Jaguars were to place the franchise tag on Lloyd, they’d pay him $26,856,000 in 2026. That would make him the highest-paid inside LB from an average-per-year (APY) perspective … by a lot.
“As far as the fifth-year option, whenever I found out the news, it was just more so, ‘OK, at this point, I know this is effectively a one-year, prove-it deal,’” Lloyd said.
Then again, try to dig too deep on what made his 2025 so special — Did you have a different hunger for the 2025 season? — and he’ll stick to a common refrain. He’ll use phrases like “that’s just reality” and “I didn’t put much into it” and, again, “I just went out and attacked each day.” He’ll say it’s about staying levelheaded — a product of his faith, he said.
One thing he will open up on, however, is how coaching impacted his game in 2025. Lloyd specifically called out the work he put in with new-to-2025 defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and linebackers coach Tem Lukabu.
“I had great coaches last year,” Lloyd said. “And they definitely helped me. I give the most credit to them, they (taught) me to use my hands. That was one thing they emphasized. Every day at practice, it was, ‘Use your hands, use your hands, so you can play violent and physical in the run game, shed blocks and make plays.’”
‘Time to take that next step’
There is a lot more Panthers fans will get to know about Lloyd over the coming weeks and months.
His parents, Ronyta and Joe, spent 40 combined years in the Navy, so discipline was a key part of his upbringing. Growing up, that meant mowing the grass, washing cars, staying on top of schoolwork. Today, that means never missing a workout or a rehab opportunity.
He also goes hard at practice, something he doesn’t shy away from. He and his draft classmate (and newly signed Panthers center) Luke Fortner can tell you about those battles in the Jacksonville sun.
Lloyd is also excited for the future in Charlotte — particularly considering how many splashes the Panthers made in free agency. Not only did the Panthers acquire Lloyd, the top ILB on the market, but they also got one of the best pass rushers in Jaelan Phillips, plus some quality offensive linemen.
So yes, Lloyd might have been surprised by something this free agency.
But if the Panthers continue their ascent, that wouldn’t be a surprise to him at all.
“(We’re) just an ascending team,” Lloyd said. “Jacksonville was like that at one point as well. Just an ascending team. Made it to the playoffs. Hosted a playoff game, which is huge.
“And now it’s time to take that next step.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 4:24 PM.
