By Adeniyi Precious 
Former Alabama defensive lineman LaBryan Ray isn’t hitting the free agency market just yet. The Carolina Panthers decided to keep him around for the 2025 season, extending a contract offer that locks him in as the team builds its roster.
Ray was an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning he didn’t have much choice in the matter—if the Panthers wanted him back, he had to stay. The team hasn’t revealed the details of his contract yet.
Despite breaking his hand last season, Ray played in 16 of Carolina’s 17 games, starting in nine. He logged 637 defensive snaps—second only to fellow Alabama alum A’Shawn Robinson. Ray wrapped up the 2024 season with 41 tackles, his first NFL sack, and two tackles for loss.
Ray’s journey to this point hasn’t been easy. A high school standout at James Clemens in Alabama, he went undrafted in 2022 but landed on the Patriots’ practice squad. After spending time on injured reserve, he bounced to the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars in 2023, where he made an impact with three sacks. That performance earned him a shot with Carolina in 2023, where he worked his way into the rotation and has now secured another year in the NFL.
For now, the Panthers are keeping faith in Ray, and he’ll look to build on his 2024 performance heading into the new season.