Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put a spotlight on the Carolina Panthers’ defense and, in the process, laid out the kind of outcome the team is trying hard to avoid.
There’s reason for optimism in Carolina after a 2025 season that ended with the Panthers winning the NFC South for the first time in over 10 years. Even so, the finish line told the fuller story: an 8-9 record and a playoff berth secured only because of a tiebreaker. That leaves plenty of work to be done.
The defense was a major part of why Carolina stayed in the mix last season. It took a step forward from previous years and finished 16th in the NFL in points allowed at 23. Entering this season, the expectation is that the unit can be strong again, with the additions of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd giving it a chance to be even better.
But Davenport’s warning is simple: better on paper doesn’t always mean better on the field.
In laying out the Panthers’ worst-case scenario, he centered on Phillips and the idea that the new arrivals may not deliver the impact Carolina is banking on. As Davenport wrote:
“Phillips has never had more than 8.5 sacks in a season, and that was his rookie year in 2021. Lloyd picked off five passes and made the Pro Bowl last year, but he barely topped 80 total tackles. Big bucks don't equal sure bets, and if those acquisitions don't pay off then the Panthers could easily have the same issues defensively they did a year ago when they ranked in the bottom-half of the league in more statistical categories than not.”
If that plays out, Carolina would be right back where it was before the improvement, and that would be a brutal result after spending to upgrade the unit.
The Panthers made their move by paying for the best pass rusher available in free agency, sending a clear message that they expect this defense to carry more weight. Now the pressure shifts to Phillips to justify that contract and deliver in 2026.
In Other News...
Panthers Camp Has Turned Bryce Youngs Backup Job Into A Real Fight
Training camp has turned the backup quarterback job behind Bryce Young into one of the more interesting spots on the Panthers roster, with three names in the mix and very different paths to this point. Kenny Pickett arrives as the former first-round pick and the most established of the group, while Haynes King is trying to turn camp reps into a real foothold after entering the league undrafted. Will Grier is back in the conversation too, giving Carolina a familiar face in a competition that now has at least a little intrigue.
Pickett still looks like the safest bet to handle the No. 2 role, but the Panthers have more going on than just that pecking order. Kings development gives the team a useful wild card, and Grier is hanging around as the long-shot option in a room that could get squeezed once roster decisions start tightening elsewhere. Even if the backup spot seems to have a clear front-runner, there is still enough movement here to keep the quarterback picture worth watching through the rest of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Fans Wont Love What This Says About Monroe Freeling
Monroe Freeling arrived in Carolina with first-round expectations, but the early picture around the rookie tackle is more about patience than immediate impact. The Panthers have had him working at both tackle spots, giving him a chance to learn the full scope of the position as he settles in and adjusts to the speed of the pro game.
For now, the bigger takeaway is that Freeling looks like a long-term investment rather than a quick fix. Carolina sees him as a developmental piece who could grow into either tackle job down the line, especially with the current starters moving toward future contract decisions, but that also means fans hoping for an instant fix may need to wait. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Have A Tough QB Decision Before The Deadline
The quarterback picture in San Francisco is crowded enough that a move before the deadline is easy to imagine, even with Brock Purdy entrenched and Mac Jones sitting in a murkier spot. Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and that alone makes him one of the more watchable names on the roster if the 49ers decide to listen and a team sees a chance to get him out of the building sooner rather than later.
For Carolina, the interest is obvious enough to keep in mind whenever the Panthers' quarterback conversation comes up. If they decide Bryce Young is not the long-term answer, Jones profiles as the kind of passer a club could try to build around instead of simply patching the position for a season, which is why this is the sort of situation worth tracking as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]