The Panthers didn’t make a move before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline, but their NFC South outlook still got a little brighter anyway.
That’s the strange shape of this division right now. The NFC North has all four teams at least three games over .500, while the NFC South is the mirror image: every club is at least two games under .500.
Carolina and New Orleans, who meet this week in the Superdome, are both 3-5. Tampa Bay and Atlanta are right behind them at 3-6.
So who takes this thing, and what kind of record gets it done? That’s anybody’s guess. Twice in the last four seasons, the division champ finished 8-9 - the 2022 Buccaneers and the 2025 Panthers.
While the Panthers stood pat, the Saints and Falcons both made deadline noise. New Orleans sent defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday for a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick.
Atlanta then shipped former Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates, who was tied for the team lead with 60 tackles, to Jacksonville for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round choice in 2028. The Falcons also completed another deal Tuesday, sending center Ryan Neuzil to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Carolina, meanwhile, did nothing to patch a roster that’s been hit hard by injuries. The Panthers dropped their third straight game Sunday, and they’re still missing starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, both on injured reserve, along with right tackle Taylor Moton. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips has also sat out the last three games.
Even with all that, general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales appear willing to ride with what they have. And the deadline activity around them may have helped their case: both the Saints and especially the Falcons gave up players who could have bolstered the weak spots on each team’s defense.
New Orleans enters Week 10 ranked 29th in total defense, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game and the fifth-most passing yards per game. Atlanta is 23rd in total defense and has already given up 24 offensive touchdowns in nine games.
Now the Panthers turn to Sunday’s matchup in the Superdome, where Bryce Young and company will try to get back in the win column and move to 2-1 in the division. They’ll be facing Kellen Moore’s team, which swept Carolina in 2025. For now, the shorthanded Panthers are betting that standing still was the right call.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Opened The Door For A Deadline Move
The Panthers created a little more breathing room before the NFL trade deadline by restructuring Taylor Motons contract, a move that clears $3.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. For a team still sorting out its roster, that kind of flexibility can matter, especially when the deadline is close and the market starts to tighten.
Jack Jones recent visit adds another layer to the picture, even though Carolina has not signed the cornerback yet. With extra cap space now available, the Panthers have given themselves a chance to keep exploring help if they decide the right move is out there. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Depth Chart Signals A Surprising Special Teams Shakeup
The Panthers made a notable special teams change this week by moving on from veteran receiver David Moore, who had been handling the top kick and punt return duties. In his place, Carolina is turning to running backs Anthony Tyus III and Trevor Etienne to take over those return jobs, a tweak that adds a little more intrigue to a Week 10 depth chart that already offered a first look at how the roster is lining up for the stretch run.
Moores release also opens a roster spot, and the Panthers appear to have a couple of ways to fill it. Offensive lineman Brady Christensen or wide receiver Xavier Legette could be activated to take that opening, leaving Carolina with a decision that affects both the depth chart and the game-day mix. For a team trying to settle roles heading into Sunday, even a move on special teams can say plenty about where the coaching staff sees the next adjustment coming from. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Roster Shift Puts One Return Suddenly In Focus
The Panthers receiver room changed again this week when they released David Moore and shuffled the back end of the roster, including placing Ihmir Smith-Marsette on the practice squad injured list and adding linebacker Claudin Cherelus to the practice squad. It was another reminder of how fluid things remain for Carolina as it tries to sort out depth and availability across a roster that has already seen plenty of movement.
What makes the timing more interesting is the possibility that first-round pick Xavier Legette could be activated from injured reserve soon, giving the offense a chance to add another young piece without waiting for a trade-deadline upgrade that never came. With no deals made before the deadline, the Panthers are leaning on internal adjustments, and Legettes return now sits at the center of how this next stretch might look. [Read more 🡒]