Nick Scott, a defensive back and former team captain for Penn State, is one of the Nittany Lions who are currently moving around the NFL in free agency. The safety, who was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals, has joined the Carolina Panthers as a member of their professional football team.
Reuniting Scott with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Carolina confirmed Scott’s signing. After a change in head coach this winter, Evero was retained by Carolina. Evero coached safeties for the Los Angeles Rams, who selected Scott in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, Los Angeles chose Scott with the 243rd overall (Round 7) choice. As a rookie, Scott gained access to the active roster and went on to play in all 64 regular-season games until 2022. In a Rams uniform, he started 17 regular-season games and added four more in the postseason following the 2021 season, managing an increased role en route to winning Super Bowl LVI.
After winning the championship, Scott played one more season for the Rams. When he became a free agent in March of last year, he signed a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
This month, Cincinnati decided to release Scott, so the agreement didn’t last long. Last season, he played in all 17 games for the Bengals, starting 56 tackles in all, 10 of them.
Scott rejoins Miles Sanders, another running back selected in the 2019 Penn State draft class, as a teammate at Carolina. During NFL free agency, running back Saquon Barkley (New York Giants to Philadelphia Eagles), tight end Mike Gesicki (New England Patriots to Cincinnati Bengals), and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (Carolina Panthers to San Francisco 49ers) are among the other former Nittany Lions who have switched teams.
