The Panthers enter the new season with a familiar question hanging over their offense: can Bryce Young get enough help to make the passing game real, not just functional?
Dave Canales is heading into his third NFL regular season as Carolina’s head coach, and the Panthers have clearly moved forward since their 2-15 disaster in 2023. They won the division last season with an 8-9 record, and they’ll open the 2026 preseason Thursday night in Canton, Ohio against the Arizona Cardinals. But even with a playoff trip in the books, the franchise is still chasing its first winning season since 2017, when it finished 11-5.
One recent evaluation of all 32 NFL teams zeroed in on the Panthers’ biggest strength and biggest weakness. The strength, according to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, is the cornerback room. The problem is what Carolina is working with on offense.
“The Panthers are still waiting for quarterback Bryce Young to solidify himself as a franchise quarterback. For that to happen, they're going to need more out of their receiving corps.” Knox also pointed out that “2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, is a strong top option.”
After McMillan, the depth chart gets thin in a hurry. “After him, however, Carolina doesn't have many dependable targets,” added Knox. “Jalen Coker ranked second among receivers with just 394 receiving yards last season, while Tommy Tremble led Panthers tight ends with just 249 yards.”
Knox also noted the arrival of John Metchie III, who played for the Eagles and Jets in 2025, and the Panthers’ third-round pick in April, Chris Brazzell II out of Tennessee. That move looked like a possible boost for the room until Brazzell went down with a knee injury and impending surgery, which will sideline him for the season.
Coker’s numbers deserve a closer look, though. The undrafted Holy Cross product missed the first six games of the season, then gave Carolina some much-needed production once he got on the field. He averaged 11.9 yards per catch on 33 receptions and scored three times in 11 regular-season games.
And when the postseason is included, Coker finished strong: nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown in the playoff loss to the Rams pushed him to 28 receptions for 378 yards and four scores over his final six appearances.
Even so, the larger point remains the same. Young needs more than one reliable target, and if Carolina wants its passing game to take a real leap, the Panthers have to get more out of the receiving corps as a whole.
In Other News...
Panthers Rookies Are Already Shaking Up Two Key Position Battles
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The more interesting part for Carolina is how quickly the rookies are affecting the defense as a whole. Will Lee has impressed enough to start influencing the way the Panthers line up, and that kind of early traction can matter as much as any single practice rep. Meanwhile, Chris Brazzells injury has already changed the picture at his spot, leaving another opening for the team to sort through as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Xavier Legette Just Got A Real Chance To Earn Bigger Panthers Role
Xavier Legettes path to a bigger role in Carolina just opened up in a meaningful way. With Chris Brazzell II moved to injured reserve after a season-ending knee injury, the Panthers have a vacancy in their receiver rotation, and Legette is now in position to compete for work behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker as the team sorts out its passing-game pecking order.
It is the kind of opportunity Legette needed after spending camp trying to build momentum, and head coach Dave Canales has already made clear he likes where the second-year receiver is headed. The Panthers are still early in figuring out how their wideout group fits together, but Legette suddenly has a real opening to turn progress into snaps and make himself harder to leave off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Quarterback Room
The Panthers took a look at Kyle Trask last week, but for now they are staying put at quarterback as they head into preseason. Head coach Dave Canales said the team is comfortable carrying Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett and Haynes King, and with injuries and roster management already shaping the roster, there is no urgency to add a fourth arm at the moment.
As Carolina gets ready for its first preseason game, that stance says plenty about how the team wants to handle the position right now. The staff is balancing depth, health and evaluation at a spot that always draws extra attention, and while Trasks workout suggested the Panthers were at least doing their homework, the current setup makes clear they are not rushing into another move. [Read more 🡒]