The Carolina Panthers have signed free agent tackle Michael Oher to a two-year contract, the team announced Friday.
“We look forward to having Michael be a part of what we are building here,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “He’s a pro who understands what it takes to win. A big part of why we pursued Michael was his relationship with offensive line coach John Matsko and the opportunity to have him work with Ray Brown. We are excited to have him.”
Oher, 6-4 and 315 pounds, and a veteran of six NFL seasons, joins the Panthers after spending 2014 with the Tennessee Titans, starting all 11 games played.
Oher entered the NFL as a first-round draft choice (23rd overall) of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. Oher spent his first two seasons (2009-10) under the tutelage of Panthers’ offensive line coach John Matsko, then the offensive line coach for Baltimore. In 2009, Oher started all 16 games, 11 at right tackle and five at left tackle, helping the Ravens tie a then-franchise record for points (391) and also set a record for most touchdowns scored (47). Oher also helped pave the way for the Ravens to rush for 2,200 yards and a team-record 22 rushing touchdowns. In 2010, Oher started all 16 games at left tackle and helped protect Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, allowing him to complete 62.6 percent of his passes (306 of 489) and throw for 3,622 passing yards, and set career highs with 25 touchdowns and a 93.6 quarterback rating. Oher also helped the Ravens rush for 1,831 yards and 11 touchdowns
In his five seasons with Baltimore (2009-13), Oher started all 80 regular season games he played and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII after the 2012 season. He has started all 10 postseason games in which he has appeared.
Oher was a four-year starter at Ole Miss who began his career at guard, then moved to left tackle as a sophomore. He ended his career with the third-best active consecutive starting streak (47 games) among SEC players. Oher was a consensus first-team All-American and unanimous first-team All-SEC choice as a senior in 2008, when he won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the conference’s top offensive lineman.
