CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers on Saturday agreed to a one-year deal with Austin Corbett, keeping their starting center out of the free agent market when the new league year begins next week.
The move allows Carolina to maintain the continuity on an offensive line that allowed quarterback Bryce Young to be sacked only 29 times in 2024 after he was sacked 62 times as a rookie in 2023.
The agreement with Corbett came a day after Carolina tender restricted free agent center Cade Mays for the 2025 season. Now, the Panthers will have the same line in 2025 in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, tackles Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu, as well as Corbett and Mays.
This fulfilled the wish of Hunt, who lobbied for Corbett’s return after the season ended.
Corbett, 29, signed a three-year, $26.25 million deal with the Panthers in 2022 following a 2021 season in which he started 17 games for the Los Angeles Rams on their way to a Super Bowl title.
He started 17 games at right guard for Carolina before suffering an ACL injury in his left knee in the 2022 season finale. He began the 2023 season on the physically unable to perform list, then suffered a season-ending ACL tear on the same knee in Week 11.
The Panthers spent $100 million last offseason to upgrade the guard position in free agency with Hunt and Lewis, forcing Corbett to move to center. He started five games before suffering a torn biceps that ended his 2024 season.
Corbett said after the season he wanted to be with a team where he would be the starter, whether it’s at guard or center.
