Carolina Panthers fans have plenty to feel good about right now, even with the injury list growing long enough to rival the one on the other sideline. The team sits at 2-2, came out of its early bye week healthier, and somehow managed to stay on top of the NFC South without taking the field in Week 5.
The biggest reason for the optimism starts with Bryce Young, who is playing the best football of his career. Devin Lloyd has looked like a massive free-agent win whenever he’s been on the field.
Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, when healthy, have been thriving with Young showing a new level of confidence and command. It all adds up to a team that feels very different from the one plenty of people expected to be staring at the 2027 NFL Draft.
That belief is showing up in the numbers, too. A whopping 88% of Panthers fans say they’re confident in the current direction of the franchise, a figure that’s been in line with the strong response throughout the season in the Reacts surveys.
That’s a remarkable place for Carolina to be after the kind of injury damage it has taken. At the 2026 NFL Draft, if someone had said Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Jonathon Brooks, Brady Christensen, Taylor Moton, Ikem Ekwonu, Nic Scourton, Tershawn Wharton, and Xavier Legette would already be on injured reserve by the bye week, the obvious guess would have been a team sitting at 0-4 and looking to unload pieces for whatever it could get.
Instead, the Panthers are still moving in the right direction, even after only getting Moton and Wharton back from that group in the week following the bye. There are still real questions hanging over the roster, and losing both starting outside corners is the kind of blow no team just shrugs off.
For now, though, Carolina gets a favorable setup for its next major challenge. The Panthers are set to face Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee, and with most of his receivers missing significant practice time - if they’re even all available on Sunday - there’s not much reason to expect a smooth, polished passing attack.
In Other News...
Panthers Fans Have One Eagles Player To Watch Very Closely
As the Panthers continue sorting out where their roster still needs help, one familiar Eagles opponent is worth keeping a close eye on. Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice looked at Philadelphias potential trade candidates and pointed to three names that could make sense for Carolina, with cornerback Riq Woolen emerging as the most obvious fit given the Panthers current needs.
Dan Morgan and his staff are expected to use the upcoming game to take a hard look at the Eagles roster, which only adds to the intrigue around Woolen. Dallas Goedert and Landon Dickerson are also on the list, but the Panthers focus appears more likely to land on the defensive backfield as they weigh where a move could help most. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Could Get 3 Key Pieces Back Right Before Eagles Game
The Panthers got a timely boost this week when Trevor Etienne, Taylor Moton and Tershawn Wharton were all designated to return to practice, giving Carolina a chance to strengthen three important spots before facing the Eagles. Each player was a full participant in Fridays session, and all three are listed as questionable heading into the matchup, a welcome development for a team trying to get healthier at the right time.
Dave Canales said Etienne is expected to be activated to the roster, while Moton and Wharton could also be back in the lineup. For Carolina, the real question now is how much of that trio will be available when the game kicks off, and whether the Panthers can turn a promising practice week into a meaningful boost against one of the leagues tougher opponents. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face A Few Matchups That Could Decide Everything In Philly
After an early bye week, the Panthers head to Philadelphia with the kind of test that tends to reveal where a team really is in October. The focus is on a handful of individual battles that could shape the day, with Carolinas Robert Hunt, Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Bobby Okereke all facing different kinds of pressure from an Eagles group built to make life difficult in the trenches and on the perimeter.
Hunts work against Jalen Carter is the obvious heavyweight matchup, but the passing-game wrinkles may end up carrying as much weight for Carolina. McMillan and Coker will have to navigate tight coverage from Riq Woolen and Cooper DeJean, while Okerekes job gets complicated by Dallas Goederts involvement in the middle of the field. For a Panthers team trying to build momentum out of the bye, these one-on-one snaps could tell the story long before the fourth quarter does. [Read more 🡒]