The Carolina Panthers’ offense has some real promise, but FOX Sports still doesn’t see the skill-position group as one of the league’s stronger units heading into 2026. In fact, the outlet slotted Carolina in the bottom five in the NFL.
That’s a tough landing spot for a group built around Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Chuba Hubbard and John Metchie III. FOX Sports still found a silver lining in McMillan, calling him a major hit for Carolina after his rookie season.
"Carolina struck gold with Tetairoa McMillan, the Offensive Rookie of the Year," FOX Sports wrote. "Beyond him, there is at least some hope for more.
WR Xavier Legette was disappointing as a rookie, but he was their 2024 first-round pick. And WR Jalen Coker had a late-season surge last year.
But the Panthers are lacking at tight end, and while they do have the underrated Chuba Hubbard at running back, they lost their leading rusher (Rico Dowdle) in free agency. Maybe Jonathan Brooks, their 2024 second-round pick, will finally emerge.
Beyond T-Mac, this is a skill group that has a ton of growing to do."
The numbers from last season back up the concern. Carolina averaged just 18.3 points per game, which ranked 27th in the league. If that offense doesn’t take a step forward in 2026, another playoff run will be a lot harder to pull off.
The Panthers did win the NFC South last season with an 8-9 record, but they needed help in Week 18 to get there. That wasn’t the profile of a team that was overwhelming opponents on a weekly basis.
McMillan, though, looks like the centerpiece. He won the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and is expected to be even better in 2026 after getting stronger this offseason.
Last year, he led all rookies with 1,014 receiving yards, 59.6 receiving yards per game and seven touchdown catches. He also finished third among rookies with 70 receptions and set the Panthers’ franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie.
Bryce Young’s season showed why the Panthers believe there’s more to build on. He finished 2025 with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, and he guided Carolina to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
For his Carolina career, Young now has 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
McMillan, Young and the rest of the Panthers won’t be sneaking up on anyone anymore after that 2025 playoff berth. What they do next will tell the real story of this offense in 2026.
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Bryce Young Just Put Carolina's Next Big Decision In Focus
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The contract side is still the part worth watching. Young is already secured through 2027 after the team exercised his fifth-year option, but the Panthers have not worked out a long-term extension yet, leaving Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis to sort through a decision that could shape the roster well beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]