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Rasheed Walker signs contract with Panthers: How OT fits in Carolina
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- Rasheed Walker signs contract with Panthers: How OT fits in Carolina
The Carolina Panthers can't stop winning (the offseason, at least).
Offensive tackle Rasheed Walker is headed to Carolina on a one-year deal. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero were the first to report the free agency signing on March 13.
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Walker, 26, started 48 games for the Green Bay Packers over the last three years. The Panthers ' move to sign Walker is the latest in a string of strong moves by general manager Dan Morgan to improve Carolina's roster.
USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis ranked Walker as the best offensive tackle available in free agency this offseason. The Panthers have also already signed edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd this offseason – two other players that Davis had ranked as the top available at his respective position heading into free agency.
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Green Bay selected Walker out of Penn State in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played in one game as a rookie, then replaced David Bakhtiari at left tackle in Week 2 of the 2023 season after Bakhtiari suffered a knee injury.
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Walker took on a full-time role as the Packers ' starting left tackle by Week 10 of the 2023 season and never gave it up. He has never missed a game since, starting every week until Week 18 last year, when Green Bay opted to rest its starters before the playoffs.
Rasheed Walker contract details
Walker will join the Panthers for the 2026 season. Here's how his contract with Carolina looks by the numbers:
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Term:One year
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Total contract value:$10 million max value, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler
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Average annual value (AAV):$10 million
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Guaranteed money:TBA
How Rasheed Walker fits with the Panthers
Carolina already has former first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu penciled in as its starting left tackle. However, Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during the Panthers' wild-card round loss to the Rams in January.
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According to Dr. Pamela Mehta of Resilience Orthopedics , recovery from surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon can range between six and 12 months.
If Ekwonu is able to return to action for the 2026 season, Carolina could experiment with flipping one of Walker or Ekwonu to the right side or to the interior. Ekwonu had some experience playing left guard in college.
If Ekwonu is unable to make his comeback in the coming year, Walker can fill in for the injured incumbent, who is guaranteed $17.56 million in 2026 from his fifth-year option. In that scenario, the Panthers' signing of Walker is good value for a deal that locks in a proven starter at left tackle.
Rasheed Walker gun charges
In January, Port Authority police arrested Walker at LaGuardia Airport in New York, alleging he presented a firearm for inspection without possessing the correct legal paperwork.
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Walker's attorney, Arthur Aidala, said at the time that the offensive tackle had a legal license to carry his weapon in the state of Wisconsin and mistakenly believed he could travel with it. New York's state law only allows individuals to possess or carry a gun if they own a New York State-issued license.
"We are confident that the charges will be dismissed," Aidala said at the time.
Walker is due to appear in court later this month.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rasheed Walker contract: Panthers, OT agree to one-year deal
