Panthers sign Pro Bowl DT Derr...

The Carolina Panthers are making sure Derrick Brown is a foundation of their defense for years to come.

On Friday, the team agreed to a four-year contract extension with the defensive tackle. The new contract is worth $96 million, with $63.2 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Brown, who turns 26 in April, was the Panthers' 2020 first-round selection out of Auburn. He's been reliable in the center of Carolina's defense, playing 66 of 67 games (and starting 63) during his four-year NFL career.

Last season was Brown's best, compiling 103 total tackles — a single-season record for a defensive lineman — with seven tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits. That performance resulted in Brown being named to his first Pro Bowl.

"Probably the most impressive thing that he does for a man that big, 340-plus pounds, to run down the field, play hard every down," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said on the Panthers' website. "He's making plays 40 yards down the field."

"What you see in him is just continued growth and maturation and learning the NFL game, understanding, not only using his physical ability, but also all the nuances of the game that come with experience, and all of that is just playing out," Evero added. "Even before I took this job, I knew what a player he was and his reputation in the league is a guy that is hard to block. That's been happening for a couple of years now."

The $24 million average annual salary for Brown is now the fourth-highest among NFL defensive tackles. Only the Chiefs' Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins of the Raiders and the Ravens' Justin Madubuike earn more per year at the position.

Brown was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, as the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option last May. But with a new coaching staff led by head coach Dave Canales in place, the team ensured that a defensive anchor is in place for multiple seasons.