The Carolina Panthers are being treated as a long shot by plenty of people looking ahead to 2026, but one NFL analyst thinks they belong on the list of teams worth watching.
Stacey Mickles of Touchdown Wire pegged Carolina as one of four Super Bowl sleepers in the NFC, pointing to a team that surprised plenty of observers last season by winning the division, reaching the playoffs and nearly upsetting the Los Angeles Rams.
Mickles wrote:
The Carolina Panthers came out of nowhere last year to not only win their division but also make the playoffs and almost knock off the Los Angeles Rams. We finally saw Bryce Young emerge as the leader of this team and look like the Bryce Young we saw at Alabama. The defense also stepped up at times, but it was the Panthers' offense that carried this team, and it would not be shocking if they win this division again and make some noise.
Carolina’s 2025 season ended with eight wins, and the offense was not exactly explosive. Even so, the belief here is that Bryce Young has made real progress at quarterback, and that development could give the Panthers a higher floor going forward.
There’s also a path where the defense becomes one of the league’s better units, especially with the Panthers playing in what was described as the weakest division in football.
Still, the ceiling may not be sky-high. The realistic expectation, as laid out in the piece, is a run that reaches the divisional round. That would still be a step forward from this past January, when Carolina nearly took down the Rams in the wild-card round.
And for all the talk that comes with early predictions, the basic truth remains the same: in July, nobody really knows how this thing is going to unfold.
In Other News...
Tetairoa McMillan Camp Mess Has Panthers Fans And Parents Heated
What was supposed to be a youth football camp tied to Tetairoa McMillan instead turned into a frustrating day for families at A.C. Reynolds High School on July 1, when parents showed up expecting an event that was no longer happening. McMillan was not involved in planning and could not attend, and FlexWork Sports later confirmed the camp had been canceled back in February, leaving a messy gap between what families were told and what was actually on the calendar.
The school added another layer to the confusion by saying it never approved the event in the first place, and the NCHSAA dead period would have blocked facility use anyway. For Panthers fans, it is the kind of off-field headache that reflects poorly on everyone attached to the name, especially when the communication breakdown lands on parents who were simply trying to give their kids a football experience. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers May Finally Have A Real Answer To Bryce Young's TE Problem
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to sort out a tight end room that still looks more functional than threatening for Bryce Youngs passing game. Tommy Tremble, JaTavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans are the names currently in line for the job, but Carolina has been working with a group that needs more proven help in the middle of the field, especially as the rest of the passing options remain relatively thin behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.
One possible path to easing that pressure is a veteran addition in free agency, and the fit makes sense on paper because Carolina is looking for a pass-catching tight end who can give Young a more reliable target. The appeal is easy to see after a strong run earlier in the players career, though the most recent season was far less productive, which leaves the Panthers weighing upside against the risk that the answer might not be as simple as the need. [Read more 🡒]
John Metchie May Have One Edge Panthers Fans Should Watch Closely
John Metchie IIIs arrival gives the Panthers something more than another name in the receiver room. After signing a one-year deal, he is back alongside Bryce Young, the quarterback he once caught passes from at Alabama, and that shared history matters in a competition where timing, trust and familiarity can separate the last few roster spots.
Metchie is now in the mix with several other wideouts as Carolina sorts through its depth chart, but the connection with Young is the one edge fans will notice first. The two already know how to work together, and for a team trying to sharpen its passing game, that kind of built-in chemistry can make Metchie a player worth watching closely as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]