Last week, we noted that 2020 Detroit Lions sixth-round pick John Penisini was planning to come out of retirement just a year after declaring his NFL career over. The Lions released him from his rookie contract, signifying that they were going to let him hit the market.
On Saturday night, his agency announced that Penisini is signing with the Carolina Panthers.
Penisini played for two years in Detroit, acting as the team’s starting nose tackle in 2020—filling in for an injured John Atkins and Danny Shelton. He moved back to a rotational piece in 2021, under new coach Dan Campbell, playing in just 276 snaps.