_(cropped).jpg) Scott with the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2018 | |||||||||||||
| No. 21 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-05-17)May 17, 1995 (age 30) Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Fairfax (VA) | ||||||||||||
| College | Penn State (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: 7th round, 243rd overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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Nicholas Michael Scott (born May 17, 1995) is an American professionalfootballsafety for theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for thePenn State Nittany Lions and was selected by theLos Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the2019 NFL draft.[2]
Scott started hisredshirt freshman year at Penn State as a multi-purposerunning back, rushing for 133 yards, catching 4 passes for 43 yards, and returning 13 kickoffs for 310. The following season, he was converted tocornerback. He spent most of the season as a backup, but also returned 6 kickoffs for 138 yards. In his final two seasons, he settled into his permanent position as asafety. As a senior, he recorded 65tackles, 1sack, 1fumble recovery, and tied for the team lead with 3interceptions.[3]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft10+3⁄4 in (1.80 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) | 4.45 s | 1.53 s | 2.56 s | 4.20 s | 7.02 s | 41.0 in (1.04 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 18 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[4] | ||||||||||||
Scott was drafted by theLos Angeles Rams in the seventh round (243rd overall) of the2019 NFL draft.[5] He made his first career offensivereception on a 23-yard fake punt pass from Rams punterJohnny Hekker in a 37–10 win over theAtlanta Falcons during the 2019 season.[6]
Scott was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Rams on December 18, 2020.[7] He was re-activated on December 22.[8]
Scott made his first career interception during the Rams' win at Seattle on October 7, 2021.[9] He became the Rams' starting strong safety for their playoff run after a season-ending injury toJordan Fuller in the Rams' Week 18 game against theSan Francisco 49ers. Scott made his first career postseason interception during the Rams' 30–27 victory in the Divisional Round against theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[10] Scott helped the Rams reachSuper Bowl LVI where they defeated theCincinnati Bengals 23–20 with Scott recording 2 tackles in the game.[11]
Scott was named the starting free safety for the 2022 season. On January 7, 2023, Scott was placed oninjured reserve.[12] He finished the season with a career-high 86 tackles, two interceptions, five passes defensed, and two forced fumbles through 16 starts.
On March 20, 2023, Scott signed a three-year contract with the Bengals.[13] He was named the starting strong safety to begin the season.[14] In Week 9 against theBuffalo Bills, Scott make an aggressive tackle on Bills' tight endDalton Kincaid that led to Kincaid dropping the football. Scott scooped the ball up for his first career fumble recovery early in the 4th quarter. The Bengals went on to win the game with a score of 24–18.[15]
Scott was benched in favor of rookieJordan Battle early in the Bengals' Week 11 contest against theBaltimore Ravens after missing nine tackles.[16] Bengals defensive coordinatorLou Anarumo named Battle the starter for the remainder of the season ahead of their matchup with thePittsburgh Steelers the following week, relegating Scott to a substitution role in the defense.[17]
On March 13, 2024, Scott was released by the Bengals.[18]
On March 22, 2024, Scott signed with theCarolina Panthers.[19] He played in 10 games with four starts, recording 30 tackles and two passes defensed.[20]
On March 22, 2025, Scott re-signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal.[21]
