Taking a look at the top 10 Carolina Panthers under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
One of this past season’s biggest surprises was the Carolina Panthers. While they never went out and wowed you, the Panthers went from one of the league’s worst teams a year ago to winning the division and making the playoffs. While this team still has many areas to improve, it seems clear that the Panthers are finally headed in the right direction, with the correct leaders in place.
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Carolina Panthers still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
10 Best Carolina Panthers Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Carolina Panthers still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Derrick Brown, DL ($24.5M)
- Robert Hunt, G ($24.3M)
- Jaycee Horn, CB ($24.1M)
- Trevon Moehrig, S ($21.3M)
- Taylor Moton, OT ($21.1M)
- Damien Lewis, G ($16.7M)
- Bryce Young, QB ($12.1M)
- Mike Jackson, CB ($7.8M)
- Tetairoa McMillan, WR ($6.3M)
- Nic Scourton, EDGE ($2M)
Highest Carolina Panthers Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Carolina Panthers’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- DL Derrick Brown, $24.5M ($28M dead cap)
- G Robert Hunt, $24.3M ($25.9M)
- CB Jaycee Horn, $24.1M ($39.4M)
- S Trevon Moehrig, $21.3M ($27.3M)
- OT Taylor Moton, $21.1M ($35M)
- DL Tershawn Wharton, $18.6M ($23.7M)
- OT Ikem Ekwonu, $17.6M ($17.6M)
- G Damien Lewis, $16.7M ($7.5M)
- DL A’Shawn Robinson, $12.6M ($2.1M)
- QB Bryce Young, $12.1M ($12.1M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 53 | $99,041,638 | $535,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 60 | $52,745,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 54 | $40,994,285 | $6,469,150 |
| 10 | NE | 64 | $35,200,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 11 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 12 | ARI | 61 | $34,823,790 | $3,934,104 |
| 13 | ATL | 51 | $26,181,296 | $2,235,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 54 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 58 | $22,523,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 56 | $11,687,593 | $9,341,094 |
| 19 | PHI | 65 | $9,814,036 | $40,359,938 |
| 20 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 57 | -$5,387,142 | $20,922,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | JAX | 62 | -$9,166,552 | $42,000,184 |
| 26 | BUF | 63 | -$10,522,073 | $432,166 |
| 27 | CHI | 54 | -$10,688,349 | $542,995 |
| 28 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$31,529,252 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
