The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South last season, but not by looking like a team that had arrived. They finished 8-9, needed help in Week 18 to get the division title, and now they’re being pegged as one of five NFL teams that could slip in 2026.
That idea came from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who didn’t exactly bury Carolina, but did question how much that playoff berth really said about where the franchise stands. “I think the Panthers are heading in the right direction,” Barnwell wrote.
“But are they quite as far along as that playoff berth made things seem? I'm not sure.
Of course, 8-9 landed the Panthers only into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South, with Carolina winning the division on a tiebreaker. Consider that the same record led the Bucs to fire many of their assistant coaches and the Falcons to move on from their head coach (Raheem Morris).
I'm not suggesting that the Panthers should fire Dave Canales, who has done solid work in his first two years at the helm, but the line between success and failure wasn't very thick in the league's worst division.”
That’s the tightrope Carolina is walking again. If the Panthers are going to avoid a step back, Bryce Young has to keep climbing.
Young’s 2025 season gave Carolina enough to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017. He threw for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while also adding 216 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Across his time in Carolina, he now has 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
For Young, though, the focus is on what’s next, not what just happened. “I’m not a big sit back, reflect, compare (person).
Doesn’t really do anything for me. So I don’t think about the past like that,” Young said.
“I’m happy with the camp we’re having so far. I’m happy with the growth as a unit.
But it’s still early. We’ve got a lot more to do.”
Young is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal and is set to make $12.1 million this season. His fifth-year option carries a guaranteed $25.9 million price tag. As the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, he’ll need another strong season if he wants to put himself in line for an extension.
Carolina opens the 2026 season at home against the Chicago Bears, in a matchup that puts Young opposite another No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams.
In Other News...
Panthers Roster Progress Suddenly Looks Far More Debatable
The Panthers have spent the last two seasons trying to move past the disappointment of 2023, and on paper there is at least a case that the turnaround is real. Dan Morgan and Dave Canales helped steer Carolina to an NFC South title in 2025, a step forward that looked like evidence the roster was finally becoming more stable after a rough stretch.
But ESPNs 2026 positional rankings paint a far less flattering picture, with Carolina sitting near the bottom overall and drawing especially weak marks at running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line and edge rusher. Injuries have played a part, and the teams recent high-profile signings and draft picks have not yet lifted those areas the way the Panthers likely hoped, leaving the roster progress suddenly a lot more debatable than the division title might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers May Have More Than Stability At Kicker This Season
Ryan Fitzgerald will open the season as the Panthers Week 1 kicker, and for once theres no late-summer battle hanging over the job. After a rookie year that gave Carolina reason to believe it had found some stability at the position, Fitzgerald has carried that momentum into training camp with a strong showing in practice, nailing kicks from a range of distances and looking like a player the staff can trust.
What has stood out to Dave Canales and special teams coordinator Tracy Smith is not just the accuracy, but the way Fitzgerald has handled the offseason push to get stronger and more explosive. Carolina asked him to make those improvements, and he has followed through while also showing the kind of mental growth that can matter just as much for a kicker. It leaves the Panthers with more than a settled job for September, and maybe a little upside too. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About Detroits New Look
The Lions rolled out their new Rivalries uniforms this week, and the look turned heads for more than one reason. Built around a white base with Honolulu blue and black stripes, the design will make its on-field debut in Week 8 against the Vikings, part of the NFLs push to introduce new rivalry uniforms in early November.
What followed on social media was almost immediate, with plenty of fans pointing out how closely the new threads echo the Panthers jersey style. For Carolina observers, it is the kind of uniform comparison that can linger well beyond the reveal, especially when a divisional opponents new look starts drawing comments about resemblance instead of originality. [Read more 🡒]