He may not have been a member of the Carolina Panthers' initial 53-man roster, but inside linebacker Bobby Okereke has officially become a member of the most recent one.
As announced on Monday, the Panthers have signed Okereke. The 30-year-old defender had agreed to terms on a deal with Carolina this past Saturday, amidst the team's roster cutdown.
Okereke, a third-round pick from the 2019 draft, is now set to enter his eighth NFL season. His previous seven were split between the Indianapolis Colts (2019 to 2022) and the New York Giants (2023 to 2025)—as he recorded 805 combined tackles (34 for a loss), 7.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries over 110 games.
With the competition for one of Carolina's starting
inside linebacker jobs seemingly falling short as a whole, Okereke is likely to start alongside Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd for the upcoming campaign.
To make room for Okereke, the Panthers placed offensive lineman Brady Christensen on injured reserve with a hamstring issue. Christensen will now miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers sign veteran ILB, place OL on IR
