It’s apparently a multi-year extension, but the terms are not yet available. A former Panther who signed up with Jim Harbaugh last spring, Bozeman remained replacement-level last season, but he almost never misses a snap. That’s a valuable commodity along the rugged interior of an offensive line. 2025 will be Bozeman’s age-31 campaign.

Bozeman started all 17 games for the Panthers last season but was released earlier this month despite signing a three-year, $18 million contract extension last offseason. A former sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2018, Bozeman has carved out a solid NFL career through his first six years in the league and now gets to team up another Harbaugh in Los Angeles. He earned a PFF blocking grade of 62.2 last year and was credited with allowing a career-high eight sacks on 32 pressures — also a career-high. The singing of Bozeman suggests Corey Linsley, who has been rumored to be on the verge of retiring, may be walking away from the game in the near future. The Chargers restructured Linsley’s contract earlier this offseason when they lowered his $11.5 million base salary for 2024 to the veteran minimum.

Bozeman signed a three-year deal with the Panthers last offseason, playing and starting in all 17 games for the 2023 season. Prior to joining Carolina in 2022, Bozeman played four seasons on the Ravens’ offensive line, starting the majority of games he played. He was the Panthers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and now the center market adds a starter for free agency. The Panthers will choose to go in a different direction and clear up some cap space with a new coaching staff coming in to develop QB Bryce Young.

Among the NFL's best pass blocking centers, Bozeman will return to Carolina for a second season after beginning his career with four seasons in Baltimore. He performed well on a prove-it deal in 2022 and will be a foundational piece on the Panthers offensive line for the next few years at least. Pro Football Focus graded the Panthers offensive line as the tenth best pass-blocking unit in the NFL last season.