Defensive end D.J. Wonnum is joining the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, agents confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move comes after a two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers where production concerns lingered. Wonnum missed the start of his Panthers career due to a quad injury suffered with Minnesota and managed only four sacks during his time in Carolina.

Despite starting 15 games last season, Wonnum recorded just three sacks for a Panthers team that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in quarterback pressures. Carolina faced a financial dilemma, as they would have owed him $825,000 in dead money alongside a new contract. The pass rusher's modest numbers made him expendable despite his history of production elsewhere.

Selected by Minnesota in the fourth round of 2020, Wonnum has accumulated 30 career sacks across six seasons. He registered eight sacks for the Vikings in both 2021 and 2023 before moving to Carolina. The Lions add a rotational pass rusher with experience, seeking to improve a defense that ranked 24th in sacks last season.