Panthers learned in historic showing what Jaguars already knew about Devin Lloyd

Nobody in the Jacksonville Jaguars' building was thrilled to let linebacker Devin Lloyd walk out the door this offseason. But after a dominant season in which he earned second-team All-Pro honors, the star defender was simply too expensive to keep in house.

One of the most prized defenders on the free-agent market, he signed with the Carolina Panthers on a three-year, $45 million deal. Through just two games, Lloyd is already showing the Panthers why the Jaguars were so reluctant to let him go.

While the Jags are coming off a disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos, the superstar linebacker is already well on his way to repeating his electric 2025 campaign.

Jaguars fans can't help but smile after Devin Lloyd's dominant Panthers start

Jacksonville's defense was built on generating game-changing plays in 2025, and Lloyd was its centerpiece. The veteran linebacker produced five interceptions (he returned one for a touchdown), six tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery in 15 games. With Lloyd leading the way, the Jaguars finished second in the NFL in total takeaways with 31.

Next to Foyesade Oluokun, he gave the Jags one of the most dynamic linebacker tandems in the league. His breakout season earned him a spot among the NFL's top ten off-ball linebackers, according to league coaches, executives, and scouts polled by ESPN this offseason.

The linebacker is already carrying that form into the 2026 season. After logging 13 tackles in his Panthers debut, he had one of the best games of his career in Carolina's Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Lloyd finished the day with nine tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and two interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. That was most definitely a historic performance, and one of the best the Panthers have had since Luke Kuechly retired.

It's still early in the season, but Lloyd is already validating the massive contract that the Panthers gave him in free agency. He's capable of flipping any game on its head at any moment and has established himself as one of the most impactful linebackers in football.

The Jaguars shouldn't regret letting him leave, though. While there were many reasons for the loss to the Broncos, linebacker play wasn't one of them. Moreover, they didn't have the cap space to give him the deal he deserved and would have had to make a few nonsensical cuts to free up that space up.

Oluokun still gives Jacksonville a solid baseline at the linebacker position, lifting the level of the rest of the room. Letting Lloyd walk wasn't easy, but it was the best move for the franchise moving forward.

Fans should be nothing but happy for Lloyd as he thrives elsewhere.

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