The Carolina Panthers are starting to draw real notice.
After ending a near-decade playoff drought last season with a sub-.500 record and a minus-69 point differential, Carolina looks much more polished in 2025. Heading into Week 7, the Panthers are 3-2 with a plus-32 scoring differential, and they’ve done it against some serious competition. Even more eye-catching: their offense ranks second in yards per game and fourth in points per game.
That kind of production has pushed the Panthers up to No. 13 in Nick Shook’s latest NFL.com power rankings. And Shook didn’t sound like someone just dabbling in optimism. He pointed to Bryce Young’s continued growth, Jalen Coker’s return after time away because of injury, Chuba Hubbard getting rolling, and Carolina’s defense holding the Tanner McKee-led Eagles to 14 points in the Week 6 win.
“That’s called taking care of business. Despite Carolina sitting outside the top 10, I’m feeling very optimistic about the Panthers’ chances of winning the NFC South. They’re more consistent than they’ve ever been under Dave Canales and look the part of a playoff team that has been there before and intends to return.”
The path to the division crown doesn’t look especially crowded either. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints don’t appear dangerous, leaving the Atlanta Falcons as the main threat to Carolina’s lead. The Panthers already handled Atlanta in a big way, beating them 34-3 in Week 2.
What comes after that is a different test entirely. Winning the NFC South is one thing.
Walking into a wild-card game and knocking off a better team is another. The team that had been expected to fill that role in the NFC West hasn’t been much help, with both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks stumbling after entering 2025 as the league’s top two teams.
If the postseason started today, Carolina would draw the Chicago Bears. That’s the same Bears team that beat the Panthers 59-37 in the regular-season opener at Bank of America Stadium.
In Other News...
Panthers Catch A Break As Buccaneers Face A New Offensive Problem
Baker Mayfield is expected back for a crucial Week 7 game against the Panthers, which at least gives Tampa Bay a familiar face under center as the NFC South race tightens. But the Buccaneers will have to adjust around a different kind of problem, with rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka ruled out because of a concussion and knee injury.
For Carolina, that changes the shape of a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. Tampa Bay still has options on offense, but losing Egbuka removes one of the pieces that has helped stretch defenses, and the Panthers will go into the game knowing the Buccaneers are facing a new wrinkle as they try to sort out their attack. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Trade Deadline Pressure Is Suddenly Building In One Spot
The cornerback room has become the clearest pressure point for Carolina as the trade deadline approaches, with injuries to starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson forcing the Panthers to lean on rookie Will Lee III and special teams contributor Akayleb Evans. NFL.coms Gennaro Filice pointed to that spot as the teams biggest need, and it is not hard to see why. The early returns have been uneven, and the Panthers are trying to keep pace in a season where every shaky spot on the roster gets magnified.
For a team with postseason hopes, the concern is less about surviving one game than about whether the current mix can hold up against the better passing attacks still left on the schedule. Carolina has enough incentive to keep looking for help, and cornerback is the one place where a midseason addition could change the feel of the defense almost immediately. The question now is whether the Panthers can find the right piece in time to stabilize a position that has suddenly gone from manageable to urgent. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision On Defense
With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both dealing with injuries, the Panthers have suddenly found themselves weighing whether to add cornerback help before the trade deadline. It is the kind of defensive wrinkle that can change the temperature of a season quickly, especially for a team trying to keep its secondary intact while staying flexible enough to handle what comes next.
One name being floated is Alontae Taylor, giving Carolina a possible fit if it decides to look beyond internal options. The problem is the same one that shadows so many deadline ideas: salary cap realities. Nothing has been confirmed, but the Panthers do appear to be staring at a decision point that could shape the back end of their defense. [Read more 🡒]