By admin 
The Carolina Panthers got their 2026 season started on Sunday, and it wasn’t pretty.
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The team gave up 59 points to the Chicago Bears in what was genuinely one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history. It didn’t even matter that the Panthers score 37 points and Bryce Young actually played well- the team still wasn’t even close to winning this one.
You may think, with a performance this bad, everybody on defense was bad. And you would be right, for the most part, but there are a few exceptions.
Linebacker Bobby Okereke was a bright spot, as was Princely Umanmielen. Cornerback Mike Jackson also had a decent game, which is worth monitoring considering Jackson will be a free agent after this season.
This was already clear before Week 1, but it’s even more clear now- the Panthers cannot allow Jackson to walk.
Jackson is Panthers’ Most Important 2027 Free Agent
It’s never too early to begin thinking about next season. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently identified each team’s most important pending free agent.
For the Panthers, Knox predictably chose Jackson. The corner burst onto the scene in 2025 and was genuinely one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
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“While Jackson will turn 30 in January, he was a high-level starter for the Panthers in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games and played 99 percent of the defensive snaps. He logged four interceptions and a league-high 19 passes defended (tied), while allowing an opposing passer rating of only 75.0 in coverage,” Knox said.
Jackson came down with four interceptions and had a league-leading 19 pass breakups in 2025. As Knox pointed out, Jackson never came off the field for the Panthers, and he often battled opposing team’s top receivers.
“Jaycee Horn might be the star of Carolina’s secondary, but Jackson is the perfect complement to him in Ejiro Evero’s defense. If he can replicate his 2025 performance, it’ll be difficult to justify letting him walk,” added Knox.
As mentioned above, Jackson is one of the few defenders who actually had a decent game in Week 1. The corner surrendered zero receptions and allowed a passer rating of just 39.6 when targeted.
Jackson previously indicated that he’s not willing to take a discount and a deal isn’t particularly close. The Panthers shouldn’t be afraid to pay up if Jackson continues to prove he’s a very good corner.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 11:11 AM.