The NFC South is heading into the season with a label it probably doesn’t want: worst division in the NFL.
That’s the view from NFL.com, where Nick Shook slotted the NFC South at the bottom of his division rankings. The timing matters for the Carolina Panthers, who are getting set to open training camp in about a week and are trying to turn last season’s division title into something more meaningful.
Carolina did win the NFC South in 2025, its first division crown in more than 10 years, but the finish came with an 8-9 record. The Panthers then dropped their lone playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams. Still, there was enough there for the team to point to some real progress heading into this year.
Shook pointed to that exact tension in his ranking, writing:
All it took to take home the NFC South crown in 2025 was an 8-9 record. Yep, that's where the division's reputation stands as we enter 2026: in the cellar.
Now, we shouldn't take this group lightly, because there's plenty of room for surprise. Carolina filled that role in 2025, overcoming a 1-3 start and posting a 7-6 finish to win the division by virtue of a tiebreaker.
The division produced a low bar, but the Panthers built plenty of positive momentum in their second season under Dave Canales, showing tangible progress.
That’s the crux of it. Carolina can’t apologize for winning the division, but the numbers tell the story of a weak NFC South. An 8-9 team hosting a playoff game is not exactly a strong endorsement for the group as a whole, even if the teams in the division ended up dragging each other down.
The good news for the Panthers is simple: they get another shot to change the conversation. If they can get above .500 and defend the division title, it would do a lot to quiet the skepticism around both Carolina and the NFC South.
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