Lawson signed with the Panthers after he visited the team on Tuesday. The Panthers defense is in need of a veteran presence after injuries and bad play have made them one of the weaker defenses in the league. The 30-year-old Lawson joins the team having last played for the Bills, totaling 13 tackles and a sack last season.

Lawson returned to the Bills last season after jumping around between the Dolphins and Jets in 2020 and 2021. In his first year back with the Bills, Lawson totaled 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 15 games. Lawson is little more than a situational pass rusher at this stage of his career, and will likely fill a role similar to last season's.

Lawson spent his first four NFL seasons with the Bills before one-year stints in Miami and with the Jets. Lawson had his career-best 2019 season with Buffalo, posting 6.5 sacks and 32 tackles. The Jets released Lawson in January as one of several salary cap moves. 

Lawson, 27, would have been a $9 million hit against the salary cap in 2022. Acquired from Houston last August in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, Lawson started seven games and played in 14 this season as a rotational player in the terrible New York defense. He'll likely sign a one-year deal with another team this offseason.