The Carolina Panthers will bring back center Austin Corbett for a fourth season.
The Panthers on Saturday reached a 1-year deal with Corbett ahead of the start of NFL free agency, a league source told The Observer. Corbett’s contract was set to void on March 12 after the team pushed back an earlier deadline to continue their extension negotiations.
Corbett, 29, is coming off a season-ending biceps injury. The veteran lineman played well during his first season as an NFL starting center before sustaining the notable injury in Week 5. Corbett converted from right guard to center following the arrival of Pro Bowl lineman Robert Hunt last offseason.
Corbett originally signed a three-year, $26.25 million deal with the Panthers in 2022. He had just come off a Super Bowl win with the Los Angeles Rams as a starting lineman.
Corbett spent his first two seasons in Carolina at right guard. He was arguably the team’s best offensive player in 2022, but he sustained a season-ending ACL injury in the final game of that campaign, which hindered him entering the 2023 season.
Corbett was limited to just four games in 2023 as he recovered from ACL surgery and eventually sustained a season-ending MCL injury.
Despite Corbett’s recent injury history, the veteran lineman has been valued by the organization as a leader on and off the field. Corbett expressed interest in returning to the organization from the 2024 campaign, and he has a clear opportunity to compete for a starting job this summer at center.
With Corbett back in the mix, the Panthers have some other decisions to make on the offensive line.
Cade Mays, who started eight of the team’s final nine games at center last season, is a restricted free agent, who was tendered on Friday. Brady Christensen, a versatile depth lineman with plenty of starting experience, is set to test unrestricted free agency on March 12.
Christensen, a 2021 third-round pick, is likely to look for a starting role in free agency.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida.