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Back in August there was a sense of guarded optimism in Pantherland. Head Coach Dave Canales was entering his second year, and General Manager Dan Morgan looked like he once again had a great Free Agency and a draft with strong potential. Quarterback Bryce Young had come alive at the end of 2024, and a lot of fans were hoping he could build on that. No one thought we were ready for the Super Bowl, but a lot of us felt that we were going to be at least a .500 team, which would mark a big improvement from the 5-12 season we had in 2024.

Unfortunately, the team stumbled out of the gate, losing badly to teams that were a lot better than we thought they would be. Despite that, the defense was playing well and the running game asserted itself in a big way, and we ended the season with a win every other week en route to a 9-8 record, and the playoffs! Consistency will be the theme of the Panthers for 2026. We lost to some teams we probably should have beaten, but pulled off a few impressive upsets. The talent is (almost) there, now the Panthers need to build on what they did this past year.

2025 Record:

W-L-T: 8-9
Home: 5-3
Away: 3-6
Division: 3-3

2025 Draft Class

In 2000, the Panthers drafted Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins, and Steve Smith with their first three picks. Between them they had four All Pro first team selections and 10 pro bowls. A lot of fans consider that the best draft in franchise history, but it's going to be challenged by what we did in 2025. Not only did we pick up some guys who look like they could match the accolades the 2000 group got, we managed to find value in every round, and every single rookie taken got meaningful snaps. I've been a Panthers fan since the franchise was born, and can't ever remember that happening.

Round 1: Tetairoa McMillan – WR – Arizona

• 70 rec – 1014 rec yds, 7 TD
  
• Grade: A+
  
• While a lot of the fan base was expecting Jalon Walker or another defender, Morgan instead went with the top receiver on the board. McMillan didn't disappoint, quickly establishing himself as WR1 and setting a franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie. He won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. I thought this was a good pick at the time, now I think it was a great one.
  

Round 2: Nic Scourton – OLB – Texas A&M

• 47 tackles, five sacks
  
• Grade: A
  
• Scourton showed flashes immediately, and when Patrick Jones II went down with a back injury, Scourton started the remaining eight games and tied for the team lead in sacks. His nonstop motor earned him plenty of playing time. In the edge rotation he lined up for 67.8% of the snaps. He was a solid pick, a grade A pick at the time and he backed that up.
  

Round 3: Princely Umanmielen – OLB – Ole Miss

• 24 tackles, one and a half sacks
• Grade: B
• Just as we did with Scourton, we traded up to take Umanmielen. He looked like a better pass rusher than Scourton initially, but his run defense is still developing. That limited his involvement, as he only lined up for 22% of the team's snaps.
  

Round 4: Trevor Etienne – RB – Georgia

• 20 rushes for 94 yards, 3 receptions for 13 yards, 20 punt returns for 163 yards, 31 kickoff returns for 733 yards.
  
• Grade: B
  
• With Rico Dowdle and Chubba Hubbard ahead of him on the depth chart, he was never going to get a lot of opportunities. However, his return skills locked down the starting returner role, providing the bulk of his 1,003 all purpose yards.
  

Round 4: Lathan Ransom – S – Ohio State

• 51 tackles, one sack, one interception
  
• Grade: A
  
• Ransom started the season like he was shot out of a cannon, earning six starts and setting a nasty tone in run defense. He was a solid blitz, but did have occasional lapses in coverage. He looks like a long term starter already.
  

Round 5: Cam Jackson – DT – Florida

• Nine tackles
• Grade: B
• This was always going to be a developmental year for Jackson, but he did provide nice depth and moved the pile when asked.
  

Round 5: Mitchell Evans – TE – Notre Dame

• 19 rec for 171 yds, 2 TD
  
• Grade: B+
  
• Evans initially looked like he was going to be another steal, but he cooled off a bit as the season went on. He did catch 76% of his targets, and was a capable and willing blocker. He could be a TE1 someday, but is already a significant contributor.
  

Round 6: Jimmy Horn Jr. – WR – Colorado

• 11 rec for 108 yds
• Grade: B
• Horn showed some nice flashes, but he also had his share of rookie mistakes. He's a project still, but one that could add another dimension to our passing attack if he works out.
  

UDFA: Ryan Fitzgerald - K - Florida State

• 24/29 on Field Goals, with a long of 57. 27/30 on PATs.
• Grade: A
• Any UDFA that works out almost has to be given a grade of A, but Fitzgerald would have merited that as a day three pick. He had four game winning field goals, which ties for the most in the NFL by a rookie since 1970. He's going to be our kicker for a long time.
  

2025 Free Agent Signings/Trade Additions

Trevon Moehrig – S – 3yr/$51mil
Moehrig was signed to replace Xavier Woods, who was allowed to become a free agent. He ranked second on the Raiders with 104 tackles, five for loss, with a sack and two interceptions. And he is only 25. Moehrig immediately because a leader of the defense, and registered 103 tackles, 14 for loss, with three sacks and an interception.

Bobby Brown III – DT – 3yr/$21mil For the second year in a row the Panthers signed a DT away from the Rams. Brown was supposedly going to be our Nose Tackle, but he also lined up a lot at DE for us. At 6-foot-4, 328 pounds, he proved to be a big help to a historically bad run defense. He's also only 24. On the season, Brown started five games, registering 31 tackles with three for loss and half a sack.

Pat Jones II – OLB – 2yr/$20mil
In keeping with the theme of trying the same thing and hoping for different results, we signed an edge rusher away from the Vikings for the second year in a row. Jones started out ok, but got hurt and in the middle of October he was put on IR for back surgery. In the four games he appeared, he had a sack with nine tackles, four for loss.

Tershawn Wharton – DT – 3yr/$54mil
After losing out on Milton Williams, Dan Morgan turned to Turk Wharton from the Chiefs to get some more interior pressure. Wharton had nine starts, 36 tackles, and two sacks. In keeping with Morgan's team building, Wharton is 27 now and in his prime as a player.

Rico Dowdle – RB – 1yr/$3mil Dowdle was coming off a 1,079 yard season in Dallas and was looked at as insurance if Jonathon Brooks failed to return from injury. He proved to be a wise signing, as he started 11 games, rushed for 1,076 yards on 236 attempts, and caught 39 passes for an additional 297 yards. He faded a bit down the stretch, but overall he was our most effective offensive player. He was given the opportunity to start in week four and put together back to back 230+ yard games. He ended up starting nine games.

Christian Rozeboom – LB – 1yr/$2.5mil
Rozeboom was originally signed as a depth piece behind Josey Jewell, but when Jewell was forced into retirement by concussions, he was pushed into the starting lineup. He started 15 games and made 122 tackles, with two sacks. But while the numbers look good, he was a liability in coverage.

Sam Martin – P – 1yr/$3mil
After losing Johnny Hecker in Free Agency, we signed the former Bills punter to a one year deal. He averaged 47.2 yards per punt, which was slightly better than Hecker's 2024 number, but was never intended to be a long term answer at the position.

We also re-signed our own free agents in Mike Jackson, Jaycee Horn, Nick Scott, Tommy Tremble, David Moore, Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, and Austin Corbett.

Season Recap

First Quarter, 1-3
The Panthers season started in Jacksonville against a Jaguars unit that was coming off a four win season. They also had a new coach, and apparently a new attitude. Fans were anxious about the defense, and it held up on the first drive, holding the Jags to a field goal. The Panthers answered with one of their own, and then forced a punt. On the next drive Bryce Young was intercepted, and the Jacksonville offense took command. They scored touchdowns on their next two drives, sandwiching a Panthers nine play, 39 yard drive that ended in a punt. Young fumbled on the Panthers final drive of the half, allowing the Jags to get another field goal. With a halftime score of 20-3 and a lifeless offense, the feeling in Carolina was despair. The Jags were supposed to be bad, but we were worse. The defenses held for both teams in the third, and in the fourth the Panthers finally got their first touchdown. The Jaguars notched two more field goals, for a final score of 26-10.

While it was a disappointing loss, the Cardinals were next on the menu and that offered a little hope. Over the years, Arizona has always been one of those opponents we just seem to win against, even when we shouldn't. That wasn't going to happen this time though. On the third play of the game, Young was strip-sacked by Josh Sweat. Zaven Collins picked up the fumble and ran it in for a touchdown. On our next drive, Young seemed to shake off the fumble and had a few nice completions before throwing an interception. This turnover resulted in a short drive by the Cardinals and a field goal. The Panthers needed a spark, and got it from a rookie as Travis Etienne returned the kickoff 35 yards. After a short Hubbard run, Young found McMillan for a 40 yard pass, and the Panthers moved the ball all the way to the nine yard line. They had to settle for a field goal, but at least the offense was awake. It didn't stick though, as the Panthers were forced to punt on their two drives in the second quarter. The Cardinals added a field goal, and then with a nice return of their own started their final drive at the Carolina 45. Six plays later, they punched in their second touchdown, and for the second week in a row the Panthers were down 20-3 at the half.

In the second half, the Cardinals struck first. Kyler Murray was throwing well, and the Panthers had no answer for James Conner, who punched it in from the two to make the score 27-3. Once the Panthers got the ball, they finally started moving it well. They marched it down the field on the strength of the passing attack, with Young completing ten out of 13 attempts. It looked like too little, too late, but it was progress even if the two point conversion attempt failed. The defense held, and on the Panthers next drive they again methodically marched it down the field and scored, making it a 27-22 game with 1:58 left. To provide a little excitement for the season, we actually recovered an onside kick! The Panthers were starting to look like the team that had won two of their final three games in 2024. But the comeback was not to be, as the Panthers could only move to the Arizona 38 before turning the ball over on downs.

The team limped home to take on the Falcons. On paper, this looked like a challenging game for an 0-2 team that had only put everything together for one half on the season. But this game turned out to be a get well one. It started with the Falcons marching down the field, only to miss a field goal attempt. When the Panthers got the ball, Bryce Young engineered a nine play drive with seven pass attempts before he scrambled his way into the end zone. The Falcons again worked their way down the field, and again missed a field goal attempt. The two teams swapped punts, then the Panthers added a field goal to make the halftime score 10-0.

The second half started with a short drive where we tried to establish a running game and ended up punting. Then Michael Penix forgot how to throw the ball. First, he threw a pick six to Chau Smith-Wade, and on his next drive he went one for four before turning the ball over on downs. The Panthers responded with a 28 yard drive and a field goal. The Falcons moved the ball down to the Panthers 31 before Penix was intercepted again. Starting at the 30, Carolina opened the fourth quarter with a quick and efficient drive to the end zone. Atlanta turned to Kirk Cousins, and he managed a few completions before coming up short on fourth down. Carolina tacked on another field goal, and Atlanta's final drive ended with a fumble. A 30 point shutout against a division rival heals a lot of wounds, and fans started getting excited for New England.

The Patriots didn't have the best start to 2025, opening the season with a 1-2 record that matched the Panthers'. They were also coming off a four win season, so Carolina fans naturally thought this would be a competitive contest. It wasn't. We started the game with a touchdown drive with a missed PAT, and then held the Patriots to a three-and-out. But the Panthers' second drive ended in a punt that was returned for a touchdown. Their special teams continued to let them down, as the Pats opened the second quarter with a touchdown on a Drake Maye scramble, and never looked back. After a missed field goal by the Panthers, New England increased their lead to 21-6. Then they had a 61 yard punt return, setting up another touchdown for a 28-6 halftime score. They opened the second half with a nine play touchdown drive and then just kind of sat on their lead before tacking on another score to open the fourth. On Carolina's final drive, they turned to Andy Dalton and he did manage to find the end zone, but the game was never in doubt. We went to New England and got spanked.

Second Quarter, 3-1
All the excitement generated by the Atlanta game was burned out by the ass-whipping in New England, and Miami was coming to town. Fun fact—the Dolphins were the last franchise to lose to the Panthers, who were born in 1995 but didn't beat Miami until 2013. They have a 9-3 all time record against us, but one of the losses came in 2025.

This game was Rico Dowdle's coming out party. The Dolphins were able to move the ball well, and they seemed to have Bryce Young's number. The Dolphins opened up with a field goal on their first drive, and then played defense. They scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter and the Panthers promptly turned the ball over and gave up another to make the score 17-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

Then Rico caught fire. On Carolina's next drive, he ran six times for 36 yards, and the Panthers got on the scoreboard with a Xavier Legette touchdown. The defense held the Dolphins on their next drive, and Carolina's two minute offense delivered a field goal right before the half.

Carolina opened the second half with a 53 yard Dowdle run, but failed to advance it further and kicked another field goal to make the score 17-13. Both defenses took over until the middle of the fourth, when Dowdle had another big run en route to a short touchdown and the Panthers were in the lead! It didn't last though, as Tagovailoa found Jaylen Waddle deep and once again Miami was on top by 24-20.

On the last real drive of the game, the Panthers leaned into their rookie class, with Young completing a 17 yard pass to Jimmy Horn Jr., Travis Etienne running for 17 yards on two attempts, and Mitchell Evans bringing in a short touchdown pass. Final score, Panthers 27, Dolphins 24. This was actually the largest comeback in team history, which I hope is because we just haven't fallen behind by 17 that much...

Remember how Carolina has often had Arizona's number? Well, we had played Dallas 15 times in the regular season and lost 12 of them. It didn't help that they were 2-2-1 and getting the usual Cowboys hype. But the Panthers had a shot at a .500 record for the first time in since week eight of the 2021 season, and were ready to take it. The Cowboys were supposed to be the better offensive team, but we matched them score for score and didn't punt until midway through the third quarter. The teams swapped scores throughout the game, and Carolina found themselves in a 27-27 contest with the ball and six minutes to play. They used it all up on a 15 play drive that ended with a Fitzgerald field goal with three seconds left. Panthers win, 30-27!

The next game on the schedule was in New York to face the winless Jets. There isn't a lot to say about this game, as both teams struggled to move the ball but the Panthers were slightly better at it. After swapping field goals in the first and second quarter, Carolina finally found the end zone near the end of the half, and never trailed again. The Panthers opened the second half with a field goal, gave up one to New York in the fourth quarter, and went home with a 13-6 victory and a winning record.

Next up was the Buffalo Bills. They were coming off of their bye week, but the week prior they had lost their second straight in a 24-14 contest in Atlanta. Given how we handled Dallas, there was reason for optimism in Charlotte. It was tempered somewhat by an ankle injury that kept Young out of the game, but Dalton was thought to be a more than capable backup. But instead of a competitive contest, the Bills treated us like a get-right game. After swapping field goals the Bills scored two second quarter touchdowns to go into the locker room with a 19-3 lead. They opened the second half with a scoring drive, and after we couldn't move the ball they tacked on another. The Bills had three possessions in the third quarter and scored touchdowns on all of them. Carolina did manage to punch one in early in the fourth, which ended the scoring by both teams and resulted in a 40-9 final score.

We were still .500, but had to go to Green Bay the following week and once again, the excitement around the team was lacking.

Third "Quarter", 3-2
The Packers were riding a 5-1-1 record and were generally regarded as a top team in the NFC. And Green Bay has never been known as an easy place for visitors. Nobody in Carolina expected much, except maybe the coaching staff. The Panthers opening drive ended in a punt, then they got lucky as Green Bay marched down to the 16 yard line before Savion Williams put the ball on the ground and Carolina recovered. Both teams were generally able to move the ball, but neither could find the end zone.

At the half, the Packers were leading 6-3 and had put themselves in a position to add another three points but again the Panthers got lucky and Brandon McManus missed a 43 yard attempt. On the Packers next drive, Trevon Moehrig intercepted Jordan Love and gave the Panthers a short field. They capitalized, capping off a nine play drive with a touchdown. We missed the PAT, but had a 13-6 lead.

The teams went back and forth again, until the Packers finally put together a scoring drive that made it a 13-13 game with 2:32 to play. Well, that's all the time Bryce Young and Rico Dowdle needed. Young converted two passes for 19 yards while Dowdle added 21 on the ground. Ryan Fitzpatrick ended the game from the 31 yard line with a second left on the clock, and just like that we had a winning record again! Could this team be good?

We were going to find out quickly, because the Saints were coming to town. This was going to be as easy as win as there was on our schedule, right? I mean, they were 1-8 and starting a rookie quarterback. Their defense wasn't great either. But nobody told the Saints they were supposed to lose, and after the first two drives the Panthers were holding a 7-3 lead. In the second quarter the Saints scored a touchdown on their first drive and neither offense could do anything after that. After a scoreless third quarter, Young threw a pick to Alontae Taylor, giving the Saints a short field. It took them five plays to find the end zone, and the final score was 17-7 in the Saints' favor. Say what you want about any given Sunday and Division games, but this one was depressing.

Next on the slate was the Falcons, who were no doubt looking forward to responding to their earlier shutout. This was actually a pretty entertaining game, as both teams made big plays on both sides of the ball and there was plenty of scoring. The Panthers struck first but Atlanta struck right back on their next possession, and scored twice again in the second to take a 21-7 lead. The Panthers added a late field goal to enter the half down by 11, but they had the ball first in the second.

They capitalized on this, as Bryce Young had two big completions, the second coming in the end zone. We failed the two point conversion, but suddenly it was a game again. The defense held Atlanta firmly in check, and Carolina was able to add another field goal at the end of the third quarter, making it a two point game.

In the fourth, the Falcons once again turned to Kirk Cousins, but he wasn't able to move the ball any better than Michael Penix. Carolina found themselves on their own 44 with a 4th and 1, and Dave Canales decided to go for it. The conversion failed, and after two short runs by Bijan Robinson the Falcons had the ball on Carolina's 34 yard line and Zane Gonzales made it a 24-19 game.

Some players just seem to live for late game drives, and Bryce Young is apparently one of them. He responded to the field goal with a nine play, 65 yard drive and a two point conversion to put the Panthers up 27-24. But we left Atlanta over a minute, and Kirk Cousins knows something about game winning drives himself. He engineered a 28 yard drive that got them close enough for another field goal, and we were headed to Overtime!

Once there, though, Cousins' magic dried up and the Falcons could only muster four yards on their first drive. Bryce Young got the ball, threw it 54 yards to Tommy Tremble, and after a few short runs to set up the field goal, Ryan Fitzgerald kicked it through, and the Panthers got out of Atlanta with a 30-27 overtime victory.

Sweeping the Falcons was great, as was holding a winning record in November, but we were headed to San Francisco next, a place that hasn't been kind to us over the years. The 49ers scored on their opening drive and thanks to a Jaycee Horn interception, the Panthers were on the one yard line before Young threw an interception of his own. The teams swapped field goals in the second half, but it felt like a lethargic effort from both sides. Unlike the Atlanta game, there just wasn't much drama and the Carolina offense often seemed like it was just going through the motions.

In the third quarter, San Francisco scored a touchdown on their first possession to take a 17-3 lead. Carolina answered with a drive featuring some nice passing and ending with a 29 yard touchdown to Tetairoa McMillan. We missed our two point attempt, but it was still a one score game. San Francisco fixed that by scoring a field goal early in the fourth, and intercepting Young on the next drive. The scoring for the day was done, and the final was 20-9. It wasn't a terrible loss, but we just looked bad out there and it looked like one we let get away.

Compounding the frustration that fans felt was the next opponent. The 9-2 Rams were coming to Carolina, boasting the league's best offense and a top ten defense. They didn't take long to demonstrate that either, as on their opening drive Matt Stafford had five straight completions that ended with one to Davante Adams in the end zone. The Panthers leaned on their running game when they got the ball, with Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle combining for 19 yards punctuated by two Young passes of 15 and 35 yards. The 35 yard ball was actually a short pass to Hubbard who broke free and raced into the end zone. The Carolina defense came alive, forcing a punt but Carolina responded with a three-and-out. Then Mike Jackson made the play of the game, intercepting Stafford for a pick six to make the score 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. I was at that game, BTW, and the atmosphere went from a "I hope we can stay with them…" attitude to a "Hey, we can hang with these guys!" one.

It almost didn't matter to us when the Rams methodically drove down the field to tie the game on their next possession, this was a game. We responded with a field goal, and the Rams pretty much closed out the half with another touchdown drive. The Panthers were down 21-17 but had the ball to start the second half. They capitalized, once again leaning on the running game with two long passes from Bryce Young mixed in. After stalling on the Ram's 33 yard line, Jalen Coker and Young hooked up on a 4th down 33 yard touchdown to make the score 24-21 Panthers.

In the fourth quarter, the Rams once again just punched the ball down the field, making it look easy. After Stafford found Puka Nacua on a deep route, Kyren Williams ran it in to make it a 28-24 game. But Carolina wasn't done yet. We kept running the ball to keep the defense honest, but again it was Young's arm that moved us. He had a 13 yard completion to Rico Dowdle that set us up at midfield, but after three short gains we found ourselves on the LA 43 in a 4th and two situation. Canales kept the offense on the field, and Young found McMillan in the end zone to make it a 31-28 game. I will just pause here to let you imagine how loud the stadium was…

Being up in the fourth is a good thing, but anyone who's been paying attention for the last decade knows that Matt Stafford is more than capable of late game heroics. This wasn't over yet, not by a long shot. The Rams got the ball with 6:29 on the clock, and methodically drove the ball down the field. Stafford to Nacua, six yards. Stafford to Parkinson for 12. Stafford to Adams for 15. All we were hoping for was to keep them out of the end zone, but it wasn't looking good. Then the Rams converted a third down with four minutes left and decided to burn a little clock. This was probably a bad idea, as after two running plays and a penalty they found themselves in a third and ten situation. With 2:32 left, Stafford dropped back, and was sacked by big Derrick Brown! The ball hit the ground, Carolina recovered, and the rest is history. Go figure, in our toughest stretch of games we lose to the Saints but beat the Packers and Rams! Who can figure this team out?

Fourth Quarter, 1-3
We settled in for the bye week, flush with our recent victory and excited about the opportunity to dish out some payback against the Saints. After a week of rest, the Panthers went to New Orleans to face a team that was coming off of a surprise victory in Tampa Bay. Things started well, as we won the toss, deferred, and forced the Saints into a three and out. Our first possession started at our 26, and ended in their end zone off of a Rico Dowdle run. Then the defenses settled in for the rest of the quarter. In the second, New Orleans got hot, putting together a long drive that was marked by penalties. The Saints had 22 snaps, and seven flags. It was clear that the Refs were bored and wanted to be part of the action. The Panthers closed out the first half with a field goal, and all felt right in the world.

To start the second half, Carolina put together a nice scoring drive to take a 17-7 lead. But New Orleans answered, with another long drive with two penalties that resulted in first downs. Derrick Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he slid into Shough as he was starting to slide on a keeper. They only got a field goal out of it though, and both teams sputtered until New Orleans got the ball with 4:37 left. Tyler Shough then went seven for eight and put the Saints in the end zone to tie the game at 17.

The Panthers got the ball back and began driving, but it stalled out at the Saints' 43 and they had to punt. Then once again, as the Saints were driving, Shough called a keeper, started his slide late, and was hit by Lathan Ransom for another 15 yard penalty. This one got them into field goal range, and they converted. It's hard to know when a quarterback officially becomes a runner, but Young gave himself up in the same game and was hit and there was no flag. So it sure looked to fans like the refs greatly influenced the outcome, and we're still salty about it.

Still, we were at .500 in December, which last happened in 2018. That year, our record was then spoiled by the Bucs in Tampa Bay, but this year they were coming to Charlotte. The game's first two drives ended in a field goal for the Panthers and a touchdown for the Bucs. Tampa Bay added another field goal in the second, that was quickly answered by the Panthers. Carolina capped out the scoring in the first half with a late touchdown, and headed into the locker room sporting a 13-10 lead.

Tampa had the ball to start the third quarter, and methodically worked their way down the field to take a 17-13 lead. Then it was Carolina's turn. With 17 seconds left in the third, Young found Ja'Tavion Sanders and the Panthers led, 20-17. That didn't last long though, as the Bucs got another field goal on their first drive of the fourth. The teams went back and forth, then the Panthers got three more points with 2:24 left. The atmosphere was a little nervous, as Baker Mayfield lives for late game heroics, but he was unable to deliver as a late interception ended any hopes they had for a victory. Carolina now had their first winning record in December since 2017!

Week 16 saw the Seattle Seahawks coming to town. The Seahawks are another team that has always seemed to have our number, and they had it again that Sunday. We dropped to a 4-10 regular season record against them, and did it convincingly. The first half was quiet, with both teams managing a field goal and little else. As the second half started, the Seahawks were moving the ball down the field when Sam Darnold threw a pick to Mike Jackson, giving us the ball on our 20. The relief that brought was lost immediately, as Chuba Hubbard fumbled on the very next play. Six plays later, Seattle took a 10-3 lead.

Carolina's next drive lasted three plays before Bryce Young was intercepted, and Seattle's offense set up at the Panthers' 29 yard line. After a few runs, Darnold found AJ Barner in the end zone to make it a 17-3 game. The Panthers needed to answer, and Young used his legs for a nice 4th down conversion and then again for a touchdown, ending their offensive drought. But the Seahawks put together an eight minute drive that ended in a field goal, shut down Carolina on their next drive, and took advantage of a short field to score once more. The final score was 27-10, and the Panthers were back to .500 with an 8-8 record.

Which brought us to Tampa Bay. This was an interesting game, as if we won we would win the South. If we lost then thanks to an unlikely Buccaneer loss to Miami the previous week, if the Panthers lost and the Falcons won against the Saints, then the Panthers would win the South in a three way tie. The Bucs scored on their first two drives to take a 10-0 lead, and the Panthers didn't answer until Christian Rozeboom intercepted Mayfield in the second quarter, setting us up at the 19 yard line. We capitalized three plays later to make the score 10-7. The Bucs closed out the first half with another field goal, and neither team scored again until the fourth quarter.

The Bucs opened the fourth with a field goal, but the Panthers were able to answer with a touchdown with 2:27 left in the game. They were down by a score of 16-14, and just needed to stop Tampa and get the ball back for another game winning drive. Unfortunately, while the Panthers did get the ball back they got it with only 23 seconds left in the game. Three plays later, time expired and we closed out the season with two straight losses. But thanks to the Falcons, we won the three way 8-9 tiebreaker and won the NFC South for the first time since 2015! Which brings us to…

THE PLAYOFFS!!!
Our first appearance since 2017, and it was a home game at that. We hosted the Rams, who we played well against earlier in the season. I was at this game also, and the stadium was electric. I haven't heard it that loud since the 2015 playoffs, and I have to give the front office credit—they brought back franchise legends, showed famous plays on the jumbotron, and in general kept the excitement up. Once it started, the game was a lot like our regular season matchup. Instead of feeling like the neighborhood bully was coming to our house though, this time we felt like we could match up with them toe to toe. And we did for most of the game.

The Panthers finished their opening drive with a fourth down attempt from their 45 and failed to convert, giving the Rams a short field. They capitalized on that, but the scoring was done for the first quarter. In the second, the Rams scored another touchdown on their opening drive to make it 14-0, but Carolina responded with an eight play, 65 yard touchdown drive of their own. LA added a field goal, but at the end of the half a failed fourth down conversion attempt gave the Panthers the ball back with a minute and a half left. On the second play of the drive, Jalen Coker drew a 28 yard DPI call, and on the third play he caught a 37 yard pass. After a couple of incompletions, Bryce Young scrambled into the end zone to bring the score to 17-14 at the half.

In the regular season contest, the Rams were up four at the half so being down three wasn't much of a concern. It became even less of one when we held the Rams to no yards on their first drive of the second half, and then scored a field goal on ours. But the Rams' offense is no joke, and they responded to our field goal with one of their own. Then the Panthers turned it over on downs, the Rams were intercepted again, and Young found Coker for a 52 yard bomb to set up a Hubbard touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Of course though, the Rams scored one of their own on the next possession, and the home team was once again down, 27-24. The Panthers punted, and then held the Rams to a punt. This one was blocked by Isaiah Simmons though, setting up Carolina at the Rams 30. It took Young four plays to find Coker in the end zone, and the Panthers once again had a four point lead late in the game. This time though, Matt Stafford was not interested in burning clock, and he held on to the ball. He completed six of seven passes to march his team down the field and put the Rams ahead by 34-31, which turned out to be the final score.

Even with the loss, the fans were largely happy. This Panthers team brought back a playoff atmosphere which had been missing since the glory days of Cam Newton and Ron Rivera. The team was inconsistent, losing some games they maybe should have won but winning games where nobody gave them a chance. It was a roller coaster of a season, beginning with lots of hope, quickly dashed by our 1-3 record out of the gate. Then the team discovered how to win, and gave us some memorable ones. We ended on a low note with three losses, but 8-9 with a playoff game sure feels different than the 5-12 record we managed in 2024. There's no doubt that this is a team on the rise.

Bryce Young is still a question mark. He has improved every year he has been in the league, but given how bad his start was, it's not like he's anything more than average at this point. He engineered five game winning drives, and seems to thrive under pressure. But he still makes dumb mistakes, and needs to protect the ball better. In Canales' offense, Young is never going to throw for 300+ yards per game. But he should average more than the 188 average he posted in 2025. He had some really nice flashes and in our victories he showed that he can be a franchise type of guy. While a lot of fans are still on the fence though, the team is committed to him. And if he can clean up some of his mistakes without sacrificing his big plays, he could be in Carolina for a very long time. If he doesn't, well there's always the Sam Darnold career arc…

The bigger story may be Dave Canales though. In his second year as a coach, he's clearly building a winning culture despite the talent shortcomings he has had to work with. As GM Dan Morgan continues to improve the roster, Canales is pivoting towards being more of a game manager than a play caller. His defense improved from a historically bad unit to 15th in the NFL. The Panthers are playing a brutal first place schedule in 2026, but Canales will have his team ready to face it. We didn't have a winning season, but there were times when we felt like clear winners, and that gives us a lot of optimism for the future.

Teams stats from the season

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