3 things to know about newest Carolina Panthers LB Bobby Okereke

All right, it's official. The Carolina Panthers have signed free agent Bobby Okereke to their roster. And they may have just found their second starting linebacker in the process. I'm Alex Zetlow, and here are three things to know about the newest Carolina Panthers player. First up, Okereke is coming off a really good 2025. To say the 30-year-old linebacker is the front runner to start alongside Devin Lloyd is not hyperbole. In fact, it might not be going far enough. Okereke notched 143 tackles last year, which pushed him in the top 10 of such a category. And he graded out as one of the top 25 best linebackers in coverage last year. Very impressive. Secondly, Okereke is effectively replacing Trevin Wallace. It's not a one-to-one swap, but the Panthers ultimately decided to waive Wallace ahead of the 2026 season in anticipation of signing Okereke. Wallace, of course, was a third round pick in the 2024 draft, entering his third year in the league. He was beloved by the locker room. He took to mentorship well. He was a really good blitzer at times. But he ultimately didn't win the starting job that he had plenty of opportunities to win this offseason. And now the Panthers are moving on from him entirely. Thirdly, Okereke is remarkably durable. He's played in all 17 games of four of the last five years. He played over 1,000 snaps last year. That's a huge deal at such a violent position. And honestly, it's something the Panthers linebackers haven't been able to do for a really long time. There's so much more to learn about this guy, including his long history with one Panthers coach in particular. And for all that, visit charlotteobserver.com.