ESPN is not buying the Carolina Panthers as a repeat playoff team in 2026.
After a surprising 8-9 finish last season and a postseason berth out of a weak NFC South, Carolina is heading into a much tougher path this time around. The Panthers hung around long enough to make the playoffs and even gave the Los Angeles Rams a fight, but they still came up short of winning a postseason game.
Now the challenge is bigger. Bryce Young is back under center, and the Panthers need more consistency from the quarterback who has been a source of up-and-down play since entering the league. Head coach Dave Canales has already backed Young as his starter, which only adds more confidence around the position inside the building.
Still, the outside view is far less optimistic. ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder predicted Carolina will finish last in the NFC South and miss the playoffs altogether.
"The Panthers will finish last in the NFC South. I remain mostly a nonbeliever in Young (and the Panthers, clearly, are unconvinced considering they haven't extended him), and the offensive line has some serious questions between injuries and newcomers. Even though the Panthers brought in some defensive reinforcements in free agency, I could see this year going quite poorly for Carolina," Walder wrote.
The division itself looks less forgiving, too. The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are expected to be better than they were a year ago, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could rebound after a late-season collapse. That means Carolina’s margin for error in division play gets a lot smaller.
ESPN’s projection reflects that concern, giving the Panthers just a 13.9 percent chance to win the division. That said, this is a team that wasn’t getting much respect a year ago either and still found a way to punch above expectations.
The difference now is that Carolina won’t be sneaking up on anyone. Even so, the Panthers believe they have enough talent to return to the playoffs, and last year’s run should still matter as they move forward.
Their 2026 schedule opens against the Chicago Bears, a matchup that gives Carolina an early chance to measure itself against a playoff team from last season.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Trade Still Haunts The Panthers For One Reason
The 2023 swap that sent the top pick to Carolina still hangs over the franchise because it has become one of the clearest roster-shaping deals in recent memory. The Panthers used the No. 1 pick on Bryce Young, while Chicago turned the haul into a stream of additions that has already included Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Tory Taylor, Tyrique Stevenson and Luther Burden, giving the Bears a wider set of contributors to point to as the trades immediate return.
Youngs early career remains the center of the conversation, especially when stacked against Williams and the way Chicago has stocked its depth chart from the deal. For Carolina, the sting is not just about what was given up but about how visible the other sides benefit has been so far, even if the final verdict can still shift as both quarterbacks and both teams keep developing. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Season May Come Down To One Overlooked Problem
The Panthers spent the offseason trying to give Ejiro Evero something he has not always had to work with: more defensive talent. Adding Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd was meant to strengthen a unit that Carolina believes can carry more of the load this season, especially after Evero has spent recent years coaxing production out of thinner rosters.
Now the question is whether those upgrades translate into the kind of dependable defense the Panthers are counting on. Carolinas plan leans heavily on that side of the ball, but the real test will be how quickly Evero can turn added talent into a more consistent and more complete group, because that could end up being the difference in how the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Just Entered A Huge Panthers Proving Ground
Bryce Young is entering a key stretch with the Panthers, and the team is in no hurry to rush into a long-term financial commitment. Carolina has been cautious with its quarterback situation, preferring to let Young keep building his case before making a major decision on his future. It is a familiar posture around the league for teams trying to avoid the twin traps of paying too early or moving on too fast.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Panthers are deliberately taking their time rather than locking themselves into an extension based on modest production so far. If Young does keep trending in the right direction, the payoff could be substantial, with a new deal eventually landing in elite quarterback territory. For now, though, Carolina is treating the matter as a proving ground, and the next phase of Youngs development will carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]