The Carolina Panthers may have taken a step forward last season, but ESPN still isn’t ready to buy them as anything more than a mid-pack team heading into 2026.
In ESPN’s final preseason power rankings, Carolina landed at No. 23.
That comes after a 2025 season in which the Panthers finished 8-9 and somehow turned that record into an NFC South title. The numbers around that run tell a more cautious story, though: Carolina played in the NFL’s weakest division and closed the regular season with a -69 scoring differential.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons also finished 8-9, but Carolina won the division on a head-to-head-to-head tiebreaker.
That context is why the Panthers are still being treated like a team with something to prove, even if the roster looks better than it did a year ago.
ESPN’s team note from beat reporter Mike Kaye points to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan as the player he’s most eager to watch in Year 2. Kaye also highlighted the potential connection between McMillan and Bryce Young as the offense’s most promising piece. With the backfield apparently set to be divided between Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, how much those two develop could end up shaping Carolina’s season.
Defensively, the Panthers are banking on linebacker additions Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips to finally lift the pass rush out of the basement. If that part of the defense comes alive, Carolina could push into the nine- or 10-win range, as long as the roster holds together health-wise.
If the pressure still doesn’t come, though, the ceiling stays low. And in that case, ESPN’s No. 23 placement would look about right.
In Other News...
Panthers Backfield Concerns Just Brought Home A Familiar Name
The Panthers turned to a familiar roster-building move on Sept. 3, signing running back Ahmani Marshall to the practice squad while releasing offensive lineman Isaia Glass in a corresponding transaction. Marshall arrives with some recent NFL background, having spent time in Browns camp and on Clevelands practice squad before being cut, and Carolina is clearly looking for help in the backfield after injuries thinned out the room.
It is the kind of addition that can matter more than it looks on paper, especially this early in the season when teams are still sorting out depth and durability. Marshall now gets a chance to re-enter the conversation in Carolina, and the larger question is whether this is just a temporary patch or the first move in a more complicated backfield reset. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Final Roster Shakeup Created One Clear Winner And Loser
The Panthers roster decisions ahead of the season brought a little more clarity to the depth chart, and a little more intrigue to the back end of the roster. Carolina kept quarterback Haynes King after he flashed in the preseason, a nice reward for a summer in which he forced his way into the conversation, while the team also made a notable addition at linebacker in Bobby Okereke as it trimmed to 53.
For Jermaine Wallace, the ripple effect was immediate, since the arrival of Okereke helped push him off the roster. There was a bit of encouraging news elsewhere, too, with Dave Canales saying he remains optimistic about Chuba Hubbards Week 1 availability despite the recent soreness, but the bigger takeaway is that the Panthers used cutdown day to make a couple of firm statements about who mattered most right now. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers First Round Decision Looks Smarter Than Fans Realized
The Panthers first-round choice drew plenty of second-guessing when the draft ended, but the picture around it has changed quickly. Monroe Freeling is now in the starting tackle role after Taylor Motons injury, and that kind of immediate need has a way of making a front office look far more foresighted than it did on draft night. Carolina has spent the early part of the season learning how thin the margin can be up front, and Freelings arrival now looks tied directly to one of the teams most important spots.
Makai Lemon, who had been floated as another possible target for Carolina, has only added to the retrospective argument by struggling through the preseason. The Panthers are still being judged on the whole set of draft decisions, but this is the kind of development that can change the tone around a pick fast. What once looked like a reach now appears to have lined up neatly with a real roster need, and in Carolinas case those are the kinds of calls that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]