Panthers' shocking defensive rise clouded by a weakness they can’t escape

Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom | Grant Halverson/GettyImagesThe Carolina Panthers finally got their first win of the 2025 season. And while there is much to celebrate, given the dominating nature of the win against a hated rival, there is one glaring issue that needs to be addressed.

Namely, the performance of Christian Rozeboom.

Rozeboom was brought over to help solidify a Panthers defense that struggled mightily over the last few years. The linebacker was elevated to the leading man after the release of Josey Jewell before the start of the preseason. There were plenty of questions about whether the former Los Angeles Rams role player would have been capable of filling that…