The Carolina Panthers are not being cast as a Super Bowl threat heading into 2026, but they also aren’t being shoved to the bottom of the league’s optimism pile.
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns released his 2026 Super Bowl tiers before the season kicks off next week, and Carolina landed right in the middle. The Panthers were placed in the “Make the playoffs, then we’ll talk” group, which is tier C. That puts them alongside a cluster of teams that are good enough to matter, but not yet convincing enough to be treated like real title contenders.
Bahns’ tier also included the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the rest of the NFC South, a grouping that says plenty about how unsettled the division looks entering 2026. The NFC South is so wide open that there’s a chance all four teams could win seven games, and that kind of chaos makes Carolina’s placement feel pretty fair.
If the Panthers want to move out of that middle tier and into the serious conversation, the path is straightforward: win the division again, and do it with more than an 8-9 record. Anything less leaves them exactly where they are now - interesting, competitive, but not remotely in the Super Bowl discussion.
Carolina did push the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, but that trip only happened because the Falcons beat the Saints in the regular-season finale. That detail matters, because it underscores the larger point: the Panthers have not yet done enough to make anyone assume the next step is coming automatically.
A real dream season for Carolina would look a lot different than a Super Bowl run. The ideal outcome is another NFC South title, this time with double-digit wins. For Panthers fans, 10-7 and a division crown would be more than enough.
Bryce Young’s development is a major part of that picture, too. Carolina chose not to extend him before this season, making 2026 a prove-it year for the former No. 1 overall pick. The Panthers would love to see him take the kind of leap that removes any need to think about the quarterback options in the loaded 2027 NFL Draft class.
In Other News...
Panthers Backfield Concerns Just Brought Home A Familiar Name
The Panthers turned to a familiar roster-building move on Sept. 3, signing running back Ahmani Marshall to the practice squad while releasing offensive lineman Isaia Glass in a corresponding transaction. Marshall arrives with some recent NFL background, having spent time in Browns camp and on Clevelands practice squad before being cut, and Carolina is clearly looking for help in the backfield after injuries thinned out the room.
It is the kind of addition that can matter more than it looks on paper, especially this early in the season when teams are still sorting out depth and durability. Marshall now gets a chance to re-enter the conversation in Carolina, and the larger question is whether this is just a temporary patch or the first move in a more complicated backfield reset. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Final Roster Shakeup Created One Clear Winner And Loser
The Panthers roster decisions ahead of the season brought a little more clarity to the depth chart, and a little more intrigue to the back end of the roster. Carolina kept quarterback Haynes King after he flashed in the preseason, a nice reward for a summer in which he forced his way into the conversation, while the team also made a notable addition at linebacker in Bobby Okereke as it trimmed to 53.
For Jermaine Wallace, the ripple effect was immediate, since the arrival of Okereke helped push him off the roster. There was a bit of encouraging news elsewhere, too, with Dave Canales saying he remains optimistic about Chuba Hubbards Week 1 availability despite the recent soreness, but the bigger takeaway is that the Panthers used cutdown day to make a couple of firm statements about who mattered most right now. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers First Round Decision Looks Smarter Than Fans Realized
The Panthers first-round choice drew plenty of second-guessing when the draft ended, but the picture around it has changed quickly. Monroe Freeling is now in the starting tackle role after Taylor Motons injury, and that kind of immediate need has a way of making a front office look far more foresighted than it did on draft night. Carolina has spent the early part of the season learning how thin the margin can be up front, and Freelings arrival now looks tied directly to one of the teams most important spots.
Makai Lemon, who had been floated as another possible target for Carolina, has only added to the retrospective argument by struggling through the preseason. The Panthers are still being judged on the whole set of draft decisions, but this is the kind of development that can change the tone around a pick fast. What once looked like a reach now appears to have lined up neatly with a real roster need, and in Carolinas case those are the kinds of calls that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]