Josey Jewell, a starting inside linebacker for four of his six seasons with the Broncos, has left for the Carolina Panthers via free agency, according to the NFL Network.
Carolina's defensive coordinator is Ejiro Evero, who was the Broncos' and Jewell's defensive coordinator in 2022.
Jewell reportedly received a three-year, $22.75 million contract with $10 million guaranteed that includes a $7 million signing bonus. The Broncos monitored Jewell's market but weren't going to come close to matching that offer.
Sources say the Broncos have been shopping for an inside linebacker in the free-agent market since the negotiating period opened Monday morning, so Jewell's departure was not unexpected.
Jewell was a fourth-round draft pick of the Broncos' once-vaunted, but now-diminished 2018 draft class. That class ranged from Bradley Chubb in the first round to Courtland Sutton in the second to Phillip Lindsay as an undrafted free agent with the likes of Royce Freeman, Jewell, DaeSean Hamilton and Troy Fumagalli in between.
Now only Sutton remains. And despite some mysterious social media posts that had Broncos Country wondering if the star receiver wanted to move, the team is planning to keep him.
Jewell, who is 29 and doesn't turn 30 until Christmas Day, became a starter in the second half of his rookie season, but lost his starting job to Alexander Johnson early in his second season of 2019.
When the Broncos released their other starting linebacker, Todd Davis, prior to the 2020 season, Jewell, a sure tackler who makes up for his lack of foot speed with terrific anticipation and instincts, became a starter again.
Jewell was playing some of his best football early in 2021 when he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in the second game. Despite his injury, the Broncos rewarded Jewell with a two-year, $11 million contract after that season.
He returned to play well again in 2022, making a career-most 128 tackles for Evero despite missing four games to injury. Last season Jewell suffered a groin injury early in the game 3 debacle at Miami that forced him to miss the following week's game at Chicago. For the Broncos' week 6 game at Kansas City, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph re-assigned the "green dot" play-call responsibilities to his other starting inside linebacker, Alex Singleton, who had an incredible 177 tackles last year.
The Broncos have Jonas Griffith, a starting inside linebacker the first half of 2022, on their roster but they are expected to go outside and bring in an inside linebacker with coverage skills to pair with Singleton. Drew Sanders, an inside linebacker for much of his rookie season last year, was switched to outside linebacker in the final month or so and is expected to stay outside.
As for Jewell, don't be surprised if he gets the green dot back in Carolina, where he knows Evero's defense better than anyone.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports