Once again, J.J. Jansen has agreed to continue his career. The longtime Panthers long snapper signed another new deal on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
To no surprise, this is the latest in a long line of one-year pacts. Jansen has been operating on a year-to-year basis since 2021, and that will no doubt continue until his career ends. Now 40, Jansen will extend his lead in terms of the franchise’s games player leader list by playing his 18th NFL season.
Acquired via trade in 2009, the Notre Dame product has yet to miss a contest in his career. Jansen played out a five-year deal during the middle stages of his Carolina career, but he has been a special teams mainstay far beyond the expiration of that pact. The one-time Pro Bowler has played 277 games in the regular season, good for 27th in NFL history. Only Marcedes Lewis and Calais Campbell have played more among active players.
Jansen already leads the way in terms of games played by long snappers, and he will now extend his advantage in that regard. A move into the top 20 in league history (at all positions) will take place provided he manages to play a full campaign in 2026. As Carolina’s wild-card game approached, Jansen expressed a willingness to continue his career. Today’s news thus comes as no surprise.
Carolina relied on another veteran in the form of Sam Martin to handle punting duties in 2025. He is a pending free agent, so change could be seen at that position this offseason. Rookie Ryan Fitzgerald served as the team’s kicker this past season, and that can be expected to continue into 2026. Jansen will provide stability to the Panthers’ special teams battery yet again as he adds further to his career totals.