Mapalo Mwansa

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Panthers secured solid value with Mapalo Mwansa's one-year, $0.9M deal, earning a C+ CVI that reflects smart roster management at the linebacker position. At just under $1M annually, Carolina is getting a cost-effective depth piece who can contribute on special teams while providing insurance at a position group that often sees heavy attrition due to injury. The minimal financial commitment and short-term structure give the Panthers maximum flexibility — if Mwansa develops into a more substantial contributor, they can re-sign him at a reasonable rate, and if not, there's zero dead money risk moving forward. This type of low-cost, high-upside signing exemplifies how teams should approach the bottom of their roster, particularly with players who have the athletic profile to potentially outperform their contract. While Mwansa isn't expected to be a game-changer, the Panthers essentially bought themselves a lottery ticket at linebacker depth for less than the cost of a veteran minimum deal.

Performance Analysis

At 22 years old in his rookie season, Mapalo Mwansa currently grades as a replacement-level linebacker — a peripheral depth piece whose D+ performance grade reflects the limited sample size and minimal impact of a player who has appeared in just two games. With only two games of data to evaluate, there is no statistical standout to anchor a strength assessment, which is itself telling for a player at this stage of his development. The absence of meaningful production or snap accumulation is the most glaring weakness on his ledger right now, as two appearances in the early going does not suggest a player forcing the coaching staff's hand for expanded roles. His $0.9M salary aligns precisely with his current standing — a depth linebacker operating at the bottom of the roster hierarchy with modest organizational expectations attached. The media framing around Mwansa is essentially a void: no headlines, no buzz, no breakthrough moments driving discourse, which for an NFL player is rarely a sign of imminent opportunity. Carolina's offseason activity, with multiple signings added to the roster, further crowds the depth chart and makes a meaningful snap-share surge even harder to project heading into a regular season still 131 days away. Unless preseason performance generates organic beat coverage, Mwansa's 2026 trajectory looks like that of a fringe roster candidate rather than a developing starter.