Last season, the Carolina Panthers made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They won the division. Bryce Young made strides, throwing for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 63.6 percent completion rate. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan won the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
In free agency, the Panthers signed edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd to bolster their middling defense. Carolina can win with complementary football if the offense continues to trend in the right direction.
In 2026, Carolina will play the AFC North and NFC North on a first-place schedule, which includes matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and the Seattle Seahawks. The club will have a much tougher 17-game slate than it had last year, which may lead to regression.
The Panthers aren’t on the same level as the league’s top teams. We’ll see the gap between them and division-winning clubs from the previous season.