The Carolina Panthers got more than their money’s worth out of last year’s free-agent signing in Frankie Luvu. So, they signed up for more.
As announced by the team on Thursday morning, Luvu has inked a two-year contract extension with Carolina. The four-year linebacker was set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent in March.
Luvu’s fresh deal is undoubtedly a well-deserved one. The former New York Jet made an immediate impact, on both defense and special teams, right from the jump of his Panthers career.
That jump began in the summer, where his playmaking ability became evident in training camp and through multiple preseason contests. Luvu then made the most of out what was largely a rotational role—recording eight tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries over just 249 snaps during the regular season.
His work earned him the highest overall grade amongst all Panthers defenders from Pro Football Focus (84.8). It also earned him the only All-Pro recognition on the team, as he was credited with a pair of votes for his performance on special teams.
