The Carolina Panthers’ 3-1 preseason record did not exactly send their fans sprinting toward bigger expectations.
That makes sense. This franchise has spent the last two seasons under head coach Dave Canales dealing with the same two issues: sluggish starts and a roster that has been far too thin.
A lot of that roster trouble was handed down, the result of a decade of poor drafting. And when the talent base is that shallow, even getting through the early part of the season can feel like a weekly survival exercise for the coaching staff.
There was at least something different about this preseason run. The starters still looked a few steps behind the competition, but the depth chart finally held up better.
In some cases, it was better than what the other sideline was rolling out. That was enough to ask fans whether the preseason made them feel better, the same, or worse about the 2026 Panthers.
The answer came back with a healthy dose of skepticism. Most fans have seen too many false starts and too many empty promises to put much stock in preseason results.
That’s a fair read, and it says plenty about how long this team has gone without earning trust. Even so, the fact that a majority didn’t come away from a relatively successful preseason feeling worse about the Panthers is its own kind of progress.
One thing is clear: this is the best roster Canales has had in his going on three seasons. He has improved each year, and the team’s relative health and the quality of some of the starters still point toward a slow start.
But the hope for this season is tied to what comes later, when deeper talent could help the Panthers finish stronger. Canales’ teams have tended to improve as the year goes on, and that matters here.
Last season gave that idea some teeth. The Panthers needed one more win over either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the New Orleans Saints, both losing teams, in the final four weeks of the 2025 season to lock up their first playoff trip in a decade.
Instead, they faded late and stumbled into the postseason with a losing record and a giant, divisional asterisk. They did put on a respectable showing against the Los Angeles Rams, a team they apparently match up well with, but the gap in talent was obvious down the stretch.
A stronger floor across the roster could be the difference this time around.
In Other News...
Panthers Enter Week 1 With One Big Backfield Question
The Panthers are trying to get to Week 1 with as much of their offense intact as possible, and the focus at the moment lands squarely on the backfield. Dave Canales sounded upbeat about Brooks chances of playing despite the recent soreness, while Chuba Hubbard is expected to be fully available, giving Carolina at least some stability as it heads into the opener.
Around them, the injury list is already long enough to shape the early weeks of the season. Chris Brazzell, Brady Christensen, Bam Martin-Scott, Nic Scourton, Iken Ekwonu and Tershawn Wharton are all dealing with issues that will keep them out for varying stretches, leaving the Panthers with a roster puzzle that extends well beyond one position and a Week 1 outlook that still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Injuries Are Putting Dan Morgans Rebuild To An Early Test
The Panthers are already running into the kind of early adversity that can shape a rebuild before September even arrives. Injuries to starting offensive tackles Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu have put immediate pressure on a line that was supposed to help stabilize the offense, while setbacks for defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, linebacker Nic Scourton and wide receiver Chris Brazzell II have thinned out depth on both sides of the ball.
For Dan Morgan, it is a first real stress test of how much resilience this roster has after the offseason overhaul. Carolina does have answers on paper, with capable backups such as Rasheed Walker and first-round pick Monroe Freeling ready to step in, and the addition of Bobby Okereke gives the defense another veteran option as the team tries to hold things together. The larger question is whether those layers are enough to keep the Panthers on course while the injury list keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Suddenly Has A Ceiling Fans Can Dream On
Carolina spent the offseason trying to change the conversation on that side of the ball, and the front office did not do it quietly. The Panthers brought in Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, then added linebacker Bobby Okereke after his release from the Giants, giving the defense a very different look than the one that finished 16th in 2025.
Those moves have pushed the ceiling talk higher than it has been in years, with some analysts even floating a top-five finish in 2026 if everything clicks. For a team that has been searching for a true defensive identity, the appeal is obvious, but the real question is whether all that new talent can turn promise into something sturdier once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]