Former Alabama defensive lineman will not be hitting free agency next week.
The Carolina Panthers announced on Friday that they have tendered a contract to him, ensuring he remains on the roster as the team builds its 2025 squad.
He was an exclusive-rights free agent (ERFA), meaning that with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons, he could not negotiate with other teams once Carolina extended an offer. The terms of his new deal were not disclosed.
Despite suffering a broken hand in 2024, LaBryan Ray appeared in 16 of the Panthers’ 17 games, making nine starts. His 637 defensive snaps ranked second among Carolina’s linemen, trailing only fellow Alabama alum A’Shawn Robinson, who played 762. Ray finished the season with 41 tackles, his first NFL sack, and two tackles for loss.
A standout at James Clemens High School in Madison, Ray was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 7A Lineman of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.
After going undrafted out of Alabama in 2022, Ray joined the New England Patriots, spending time on the practice squad after playing 102 defensive snaps in three preseason games. He was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 26, 2022, with an undisclosed injury and remained there for the rest of the season.
Re-signed by New England on Jan. 10, 2023, Ray was waived five weeks later but continued his football journey in 2023. He joined the Philadelphia Stars on May 3, three games into the USFL season, and recorded three sacks over the team’s final seven games.
Ray signed with the Panthers on July 29, 2023, after a workout during training camp. He made his NFL debut in Carolina’s season opener on Sept. 10 and played in every game that year, earning one start. In 2023, he logged 355 defensive snaps (34 percent of the team’s total) and recorded 19 tackles.
Following the 2023 season, the Panthers brought Ray back on a one-year deal for 2024. Now, with his ERFA tender, he remains in Carolina as the team looks ahead to 2025.