The NFC South is entering the 2026 season with a reputation problem, and CBS Sports has made that clear. Zachary Pereles ranked the league’s eight divisions and placed the NFC South at the very bottom.
That’s a rough landing spot, but the reasons are easy enough to trace. Pereles pointed to the fact that, for the third time in four years, the division winner finished with single-digit victories. He also noted that NFC South teams have combined for just one playoff win over the last four seasons.
“This, of course, is a measure of 2026, not the past. But it doesn't look especially promising.”
The Panthers are the team trying to change the conversation after going 8-9 last season and winning the tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons to claim the division title. Carolina made moves in free agency, adding Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, but there are still plenty of questions hanging over the roster.
Pereles singled out Bryce Young, writing that he has been “a below-average quarterback at best his entire career,” and also flagged injuries to OT Taylor Moton, OT Ikem Ekwonu, EDGE Nic Scourton, DL Tershawn Wharton and WR Chris BrazzellIII.
The rest of the division hasn’t exactly inspired confidence either. The Buccaneers have had a bumpy training camp, the Saints have already lost DL Bryan Bresee for the entire season and No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson for a significant part of it, and the Falcons are dealing with a quarterback battle that Pereles described as “decidedly underwhelming” between Tua Tagovailoa, who “has failed to impress,” and Michael PenixJr., who is only now getting into 11-on-11 drills.
His bottom line was blunt: “Long story short, there's not a single Super Bowl contender here. As of right now, it'd be a surprise if an NFC South team wins a playoff game.”
The AFC East came in just ahead of the NFC South at No. 7, which Pereles called a little surprising given that it sent two playoff teams last season, including one to the Super Bowl.
For Carolina, the bleak division outlook could still work in its favor. A weaker NFC South gives the Panthers a cleaner path back to the top.
Whether they can take advantage of it will come down to improvement, especially at quarterback with Bryce Young. If that happens, Carolina should be positioned well this season.
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