2025 Season Opener Countdown: 97 Days To Go

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

There are 97 days until the Carolina Panthers kick off their 2025 season. With that in mind, we’ll profile number 97 for the Panthers, defensive tackle Bobby Brown III. And in honor of the R&B singer by the same name, I’ll be dropping several references to some sweet music from the late 1980s and 1990s.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 332 pounds, Bobby Brown III can clear space with every little step he takes. He began his career in 2021 as a fourth round pick by the Los Angeles Rams and spent his first four NFL seasons with there. In 49 career games with 30 starts, Brown has racked up 84 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and nine tackles for loss.

After playing out his rookie contract he signed this offseason with the Panthers, which is his prerogative. There were probably plenty of Rams fans imploring him to stay and don’t be cruel by leaving, but Brown saw a better opportunity with the Panthers.

Carolina was looking to bolster their defensive line and Brown was looking for a new edition in his career, so the two sides had something in common. He signed a 3-year, $21 million deal with the Panthers with $9.6 million guaranteed. When his agent called him with the details of the contact, Bobby Brown III was probably happy with Mr. Telephone Man.

Brown will likely start at nose tackle for the Panthers this year. When he first met fellow defensive linemen like Derrick Brown, he probably said something like, “I’m ready to rock wit’cha!”

Okay, enough with the bad music puns. In all seriousness, Bobby Brown III should be a fixture on the defensive line this year. While his career stats don’t jump off the page, he’s coming off a solid season in which PFF ranked him No. 63 of 219 interior defensive linemen. He’s not a Pro Bowler, but he’s more than capable up front to eat blocks and force some double teams, freeing up guys like Derrick Brown and hopefully making life a bit easier for the Panthers young defensive ends.

If the Panthers defense takes a step forward this season, adding Bobby Brown III into the mix could be one of those fairly under-the-radar but impactful offseason signings.