OFFICIAL: Commanders Sign Panthers LB Frankie Luvu to 3-Year Deal

Frankie Luvu is officially moving up the east coast from the Carolina Panthers to the Washington Commanders.

The Washington Commanders are officially adding to their linebacker room.

The Commanders announced that they are signing Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal is for three years and is worth $36 million.

Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (49) is set to become a member of the Washington Commanders when the new league year begins on Wednesday.
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (49) is set to become a member of the Washington Commanders when the new league year begins on Wednesday / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Luvu, 27, spent his first three NFL seasons with the New York Jets in a reserve role after going undrafted in 2018. In 2021, Luvu signed with the Panthers, where he grew into a starter for the team.

Luvu enjoyed his best season to date with the Panthers in 2023. After starting all 17 games, he recorded a career-high 125 tackles for Carolina. He also recorded 5.5 sacks, a number that only top pass rusher Brian Burns was able to surpass.

Now, Luvu will compete to be the starting middle linebacker for the Commanders and hope to turn things around after being the league's worst defense this past season.

The team currently employs former first-round pick Jamin Davis, but he may end up moving to outside linebacker, playing a similar role that Micah Parsons had with the Cowboys over the past three years.

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Luvu's contract can become official when the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.