The Panthers elected to exercise one of their fifth-year options but won’t do the same for the second.
Carolina has declined cornerback CJ Henderson’s fifth-year option, which means he is now set to become a free agent after the 2023 season.
The Jaguars selected Henderson at No. 9 overall in the 2020 draft. They traded him to the Panthers midway through the 2021 season as part of a package for tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.
Henderson has appeared in 27 games with 15 starts for the Panthers over the last two years. In 2022, he played all 17 games with 10 starts, recording two interceptions, six passes defensed, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
If Carolina had picked up Henderson’s option, they would have owed him a projected 11.514 million guaranteed in 2024.
The Panthers announced that they did in fact pick up defensive tackle Derrick Brown’s option, which was reported earlier on Monday. Brown is set to make a projected $11.665 million in 2024.
