The Carolina Panthers are walking into Sunday’s home matchup with the Chicago Bears as reigning division champions, but the more interesting story is how quickly one of their biggest problems has turned into a real point of strength.
Go back to 2024, when Dan Morgan had just been elevated to president of football operations/general manager and Dave Canales arrived as the new head coach after running the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense. The season started badly. Canales benched Bryce Young after two games, Carolina stumbled to a 1-7 start, and Young’s return later in the year helped the Panthers win four of their final nine games and finish 5-12.
The real scar from that season, though, came on defense. Carolina gave up 6,877 total yards in 17 games, the second-most in a single NFL season, and allowed 534 points, the most ever in league history.
Opponents piled up an NFL-high 179.8 rushing yards per game, and the Panthers also surrendered 59 offensive touchdowns. Derrick Brown, a 2023 Pro Bowler, was lost in Week 1 and missed the rest of the year.
Morgan tried to patch things up by bringing in linebacker Christian Rozeboom from the Los Angeles Rams. He led Carolina in tackles in 2025, just as he had for Sean McVay’s team the year before, but he wasn’t the answer in the middle. Brown’s return helped, and the run defense improved to 123.3 per game, but that group still faded late in the season when it came to stopping the run.
This offseason, Carolina took a different route. Rozeboom was not brought back and signed with the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he is not expected to start.
In his place, Morgan landed 2025 Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd, a 2022 first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, on a three-year, $42 million deal. Lloyd now joins a remodeled linebacker room under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
The competition for the spot next to Lloyd also shifted. Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus battled for the job this summer, but the winner turned out to be Bobby Okereke.
Morgan added the former Colts and Giants tackling machine after neither Wallace nor Cherelus separated themselves. Wallace was cut, and Cherelus is now in reserve with 2026 seventh-round pick Jackson Kuwatch.
There’s still another layer to it. Tyrel Dodson, who finished last season as the Miami Dolphins’ second-leading tackler with 129 defensive stops, was let go by Miami’s new regime and quickly signed to the Panthers’ practice squad.
The result is a linebacking group that looks far different from the one Carolina had a year ago. Lloyd was Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 linebacker in 2025.
Okereke posted 143 tackles, three takeaways and six passes defensed in 17 starts for the Giants last season. Dodson gives the Panthers a seasoned fallback if they need him.
It all points to a defense that has improved, even if there’s still work left to do.
In Other News...
Panthers Open Week 1 With Early Absences They Cant Ignore
A light practice report can look routine in September, but for Carolina it already carries some real weight. Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Trevor Etienne, Nic Scourton and Chris Brazzell were among the players limited or not practicing, and the group of absences touches multiple spots the Panthers would rather not be sorting through this early in the season.
The roster churn has already started as well, with the Panthers making several practice squad additions to help cover the depth chart. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson, guard Chandler Zavala and outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon are now in the mix, and the timing suggests Carolina is trying to shore up a few areas before these injuries force the issue even further. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Making A Rare Uniform Change Fans Will Notice All Season
The Panthers are set to make a small but notable break from tradition in 2026, one that longtime fans will notice right away. For the first time in franchise history, Carolina will not wear white jerseys at home, choosing to open the season in blue against the Chicago Bears with black pants, socks and alternate black helmets.
It is a rare uniform shift for a franchise that has long leaned on its white look at home, and it also gives the Panthers a very defined road identity. Every one of Carolinas away games in 2026 will come with the white jerseys, leaving the home crowd to get used to a different sight all season long. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Still Have One Big Week 1 Decision Left To Make
The Panthers cleared most of the usual first-week hurdles on the final injury report before Sundays game against the Bears. Jonathon Brooks and Bobby Brown both practiced fully and are expected to be available without limitations, while Patrick Jones has already been ruled out because of injury. For a team trying to settle in around a new season opener, the health picture is mostly encouraging.
The bigger question now sits with Darren Waller, who is physically ready to play but still waiting on a final call from the coaching staff. Carolina has not said whether he will be activated for Week 1, leaving one notable roster decision hanging as the opener approaches. It is the kind of late-week wrinkle that can shape how the Panthers handle their personnel, especially with a matchup already carrying the usual early-season uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]