A former Super Bowl champion is buying into the Carolina Panthers heading into 2026, and he thinks they’re ready to turn some heads.
The Panthers are coming off a strange kind of success. They won the NFC South in 2025, but the 8-9 record that came with it left plenty of room for skepticism. They needed the tiebreaker to get there, which is exactly why plenty of people are still waiting to see whether this team is for real.
Willie Colon isn’t waiting.
On a “status check” segment on “Good Morning Football” this week, the former NFL player and Super Bowl champion made it clear he likes Carolina’s chances. He said the Panthers will “shock the world” this season.
"Well, this may shock some people, but I'm in a relationship with the Carolina Panthers," Colon said. "This team last year, I think didn't earn enough respect of the league.
I think a lot of people were still in question of who Bryce Young is. But he played better.
The defense showed up. Led by Derrick Brown.
You talk about the secondary with Jaycee Horn. The Carolina Panthers will shock the world this season."
Colon also pointed to the way Carolina fought through the year and nearly beat the Rams, saying that kind of experience should matter now.
There are real reasons to like parts of this roster. The defense has been getting better, with Brown and Horn leading the way, and the Panthers added Devin Lloyd and pass rusher Jaelan Phillips.
Still, the biggest swing factor is Bryce Young. If he keeps moving forward, Carolina has a chance to be more than just last season’s division winner with an asterisk. His development will decide whether the Panthers answer the questions hanging over them, or keep them alive into the future.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Debate Just Took Another Turn For Panthers Fans
Bryce Youngs future in Carolina has been one of the leagues most debated quarterback topics, and the conversation got another push this week when former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney voiced confidence in the former No. 1 pick. Youngs record as a starter has left plenty of room for skepticism, but he has also piled up more than 8,000 passing yards and 49 touchdowns since arriving in Carolina, enough production to keep the argument alive about what he can become with the right support around him.
Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik added to that optimism by pointing to Youngs competitiveness and his ability to deliver in critical moments. Even with the questions that still follow him, Youngs first appearance on the NFLs Top 100 list at No. 98 suggests the league is starting to take notice of his progress. The bigger issue now is whether Carolina sees enough consistency to make a longer-term commitment, or whether this remains a wait-and-see situation heading into the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Got Linked To A Bryce Young Backup Plan
Bryce Youngs uneven start has kept the Panthers in the conversation any time quarterback speculation comes up, and the latest round of chatter points to Carolina once again being linked to a possible backup plan. The idea is not hard to understand: the franchise still needs to sort out what it has at the position, and any hint of another young quarterback with upside is going to draw attention.
One name being floated around the league is a former top pick whose tools still intrigue evaluators even though the results have been mixed. The appeal is obvious for a team that is still searching for stability under center, but the real question is whether Carolina would see enough value to make a move and try to unlock a different kind of talent than the one already in the room. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Is Giving Panthers Fans Real Hope For 2026
Bryce Youngs rise has given Carolina something it has not had in a while: real reason to look past the present and imagine a better 2026. Since returning to the starting lineup in the middle of the 2024 season, Young has trended upward, and the Panthers have ridden that improvement all the way to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and their first NFC South title since 2015.
The optimism is easy to understand, because Young looks like a quarterback whose best football may still be ahead of him. Still, the next step is about more than flashes, and the questions around consistency have not disappeared, especially with his limited history of big-yardage outings. If he keeps building on this stretch, Carolinas outlook gets a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]