After the NFL approved rule changes aimed at increasing the frequency of kickoff returns earlier this week, the Carolina Panthers announced the re-signing of linebacker Tae Davis on Friday.

Davis has been a special-teams stalwart for most of his six NFL seasons. In 2023, the former Oxford High School standout had 174 special-teams plays in eight games with the Atlanta Falcons and 143 special-teams played in eight games with the Panthers. Davis played one defensive snap in 2023.

Davis had been an unrestricted free agent since March 13.

Carolina originally signed Davis after the Falcons released him on Nov. 14.

Since earning a spot in the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2018, Davis has played in 61 regular-season games with 428 defensive snaps and 1,001 special-teams plays.

With the New York Giants to open his NFL career, Davis played 343 defensive snaps and 196 special-teams plays as he made 33 tackles and recorded the only two sacks of his career in 14 games.

Since leaving the Giants four games into his second season, Davis has been almost exclusively a special-teamer.

Cleveland claimed Davis off waivers in 2019, and he played in nine games that season and 13 in 2020 for the Browns.

Davis joined the Houston Texans in free agency in 2021, but he missed the season on injured reserve. With the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, Davis again got hurt during training camp, but he recovered to play the final five games of the season with the Browns.

Davis signed a one-year, $1,181,500 contract last offseason with Atlanta as a free agent.

After recording a 100-tackle season for Oxford in 2013, Davis went to Chattanooga. He spent three seasons with the Mocs as a safety before moving to linebacker as a senior.

Terms of Davis’ new contract have not been released.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.