Some persons are followers of the Carolina Panthers. However many, many extra persons are NOT followers of the Carolina Panthers. This 2026 Defector NFL workforce preview is for these within the latter group. Learn all of the previews to date right here.
Your Crew: Carolina Panthers.
Your 2025 document: 8-9, however not simply any previous 8-9. That is the most effective 8-9 in the entire NFC South, making the Panthers division champs regardless of having a dropping document—the unhealthy odor that comes with its personal deodorizer. Solely 5 groups have ever achieved such a feat, and the Panthers are two of them. Additionally they had the third-worst level distinction of any division winner ever (minus-69), so the one luck they may declare as their very own was their location.
Your coach: Dave Canales, who obtained a six-year contract two seasons in the past based mostly totally on the truth that proprietor David Tepper had 4 coaches within the earlier two seasons and was uninterested in wanting like David Cross at press conferences. Canales is 13-21 in these two seasons, together with a 34-31 playoff loss final yr, however these 4 years are going to turn out to be useful if issues do not enhance, which in all chance they will not.
Your quarterback: Bryce Younger, getting into his fourth and realistically his make-good-or-make-tracks yr. His numbers final yr had been roughly in Bo Nix’s neighborhood, however Nix was on a workforce that gained 14 video games, which makes him a relative genius by comparability. Younger can be downgraded by fantasy weirdos as a result of … look, you do not care and neither can we.
He is simply odd as a standalone numbers producer (the Panthers had been twenty seventh in factors and yards final yr, which ought to let you know what it’s essential know), however Canales’s alternate options are Kenny Pickett, Haynes King and Kyle Trask, so Younger wants solely to keep away from damage for his job to be protected at the least for one more yr. Cannot say what occurs after that, however Tepper hasn’t been very seen the final couple of seasons, and set off fingers that do not get used typically will begin firing on their very own.
Having a brand new play-caller in Brad Idzik means that Younger shall be challenged to search out no matter it’s that made him the highest draft choose in 2023 and produce it on command. However the addition of affiliate head coach Darrell Bevell additionally causes ears to twitch as they choose up the hum of a seat being heated. Put one other approach, the Panthers went out and received Andy Dalton to play the sport Younger missed final yr, and if that does not shriek desperation much more than Kenny Pickett, nothing does.
What’s new that sucks: The workforce’s tight finish points since letting Greg Olsen retire to play underappreciated mic jockey have led them to ultra-veteran Darren Waller, who lastly signed this week. This, after a sequence of middle-round tight finish draft picks who’ve performed little to energise the offense, together with Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans, tells you the way a lot they want somebody/anybody to play the place.
Waller shall be 34 in a month, and his final two years have alternated between accidents and retirement. Additionally, RB Chuba Hubbard simply tweaked his hamstring final week and is described as week-to-week, which is soccer converse for “Oh shit.” His putative substitute, Jonathon Brooks, was drafted two years in the past and has had two ACL accidents already. Rico Dowdle, who had three large video games final yr earlier than being rendered inert, is now a Steeler. However what’s actually new is the truth that Canales has to enhance a brutal protection that has been beneficiant to a number of faults for the reason that glory days of 2013, all whereas the offense struggles to search out its tempo after eight seasons within the decrease half of the league in most precious statistical classes—like factors.
What has at all times sucked: This appears gratuitous to say it this fashion, however the workforce itself. That is yr 32 and so they have but to place collectively back-to-back successful seasons, and so they will not do it this yr both. Because the finish of 2017, their final successful yr, they’ve the worst document of any workforce not based mostly in New Jersey, and their energy of schedule, Tenth-most tough, consists of the six video games in opposition to the opposite division members, who’re, as we have now talked about already, terrible. Extra instantly, their loss to Buffalo final weekend was described as “putrid” by a workforce beat author, which is extreme even for observe video games. The NFC South has been the most effective place in soccer to be unhealthy the previous few years, and the Panthers’ division-winning document was matched three years earlier by Tampa. That is not the identical as at all times, however 12 coaches in 4 years makes it look like an eternity.
What won’t suck: Final yr’s Offensive Rookie of the 12 months, WR Tetairoa McMillan, and his companion WR Jalen Coker give Younger some full of life targets if he can create sufficient time within the pocket to search out them. Backup LB Princely Umanmielen has the most effective title within the sport, if solely as a result of it may make at the least 4 play-by-play announcers cry on air, and who would not need that to boost a colorless Sunday?
The opposite information is that Tepper won’t be probably the most reviled proprietor on the town now, though he nonetheless hasn’t seen a successful document, as a result of he is not Tom Dundon, and even when he was, the Lombardi Trophy would not have any names on it besides Vince, so his children will not be made trophy-famous for having performed nothing to assist win mentioned trophy. They merely should do what wealthy children have at all times performed since time immemorial: await the studying of the need.
HEAR IT FROM PANTHERS FANS!
Abbie:
This workforce has drained its followers of any doable pleasure or achievement for thus lengthy that our crown jewel of the previous decade is Cam Newton coming again to bang the drum at a playoff sport that we couldn’t even get in ourselves and misplaced. The worst half about that loss is I would like even upset about it as a result of I used to be simply so comfortable to be there.
Sam:
I used to be house visiting household in NC over the vacations and the information cycle was dominated by a preferred brewery going below as a result of the co-owner received arrested for being a significant creep (understatement of the yr). Between him getting arrested and LaMelo getting traded, the streets of Charlotte are actually safer.
I wrote in final yr and advised the story of solely drafting Panthers gamers for my fantasy workforce. By no means one to again down from a bit, I did the identical factor this yr. And very similar to the Panthers, I improved from a whopping zero wins to a single victory. That workforce I beat? Everybody was below 6′.
A win is a win however nobody stands shorter than Charlotte as a significant metropolis.
David:
“They’re able to compete for the NFC South championship!” Yeah, so’s your mother, actually. In 30+ years, this workforce has by no means had back-to-back successful seasons. Thrice within the historical past of the NFL a workforce with a dropping document has gone to the playoffs, and all 3 times these groups got here out of the NFC South. Wouldn’t it shock you to know that it was the Panthers and the Bucs? The Panthers managed to do that TWICE.
I despatched in a late entry final yr about how a lot time I might spent making an attempt to determine if the phrase “pygmy” is problematic, earlier than scrapping it. I nonetheless do not know, and who the fuck cares.
Mike:
No one, and I imply NOBODY, wins divisions with a sub-.500 document just like the Panthers. What number of probabilities did they need to clinch the division with a victory, after which lose anyway? Actually, I am unable to be bothered to look it up. And if you happen to suppose we will present even an oz. of gratitude to the Falcons for gifting the division to us, you may write that concept down on a chunk of paper, crinkle it up, and punt it into the stratosphere, Todd Sauerbrun-style.
Bryce is not the man and everybody is aware of it. In case you squint at his stats a sure approach, or take a look at one among his occasional good comebacks, he would possibly look considerably respectable, however successful a weak division and an early playoff exit (in different phrases, precisely what occurred final yr) is his absolute ceiling. However there is no one else out there, he is nonetheless on a rookie contract, and he looks as if a likeable sufficient particular person, so we’re caught with one another till another person higher comes alongside. I am going to allow you to draw your individual relationship/marriage metaphors there.
The airport’s been below development for years and nonetheless is not sufficiently big for the mass crush of passengers that switch via it each day and curse each time they see CLT on their itinerary. Fury 325 broke down once more. That is nonetheless a metropolis of transplant Payments and Steelers followers, all of whom are in all probability horrible drivers. Regardless that he is stayed quiet not too long ago, little doubt Tepper nonetheless sucks.
Additionally, I suck for complaining in regards to the Panthers taking T-Mac within the draft final yr. He is a complete stud, and shall be their greatest participant till he is traded for peanuts or leaves at no cost company in a few years.
Carlos:
The primary theme of this part a yr in the past was about how our proprietor had not been as large of an asshole because the yr earlier than. That’s how irrelevant this soccer workforce is.
I am additionally in all probability the one fan of this workforce known as Carlos. Fuck Cam Newton not diving on that fumble.
Zack:
Bryce Younger is not the reply followers have deluded themselves after going from the 30-Thirty second greatest QB within the league to perhaps 23-Twenty fifth.
Fuck John Kasay.
Miles:
The Panthers simply introduced a $500M improve to Financial institution of America Stadium that for all intents and functions seems designed to make the stadium look extra like an airport. This matches with the general vibe of Charlotte – you are killing time at a Panera Bread till you may take off for someplace higher.
Cameron:
The Panthers making the playoffs with a dropping document is kinda just like the NC Dems successful a bunch of giant races within the state like Governor however Trump nonetheless successful the state in 2024.
What does it say that the most effective season for this workforce in current reminiscence is one the place they did not actually have a successful document? That is like absolutely the baseline for if a workforce is nice or not!
Regardless of all of that, the Panthers had been one cease away from beating the tremendous bowl favourite going into the playoffs! The financial institution was buzzing, the town was believing within the Panthers once more, our dickhead proprietor even buried the hatchet with our franchise’s most gifted participant ever as Cam was who banged the Hold Pounding drum pregame! Did Ejiro Evero do LITERALLY ANYTHING to get that cease? Completely not! This man let the league MVP carve us up sitting in stop the entire drive, did not apply any stress or combine up coverages in opposition to the most effective passing workforce within the league final yr. Contemplating the magical 2015 season is over a decade in the past, that is about nearly as good because it’s gonna get.
No less than we accurately drafted a stud rookie WR after the final one has palms fabricated from stone and has a weight-reduction plan that solely consists of roadkill. Whereas squirrel and raccoon can completely be thought of a delicacy round these components, you’d suppose somebody who’s an expert athlete would have higher consuming habits.
The hornets had kind of the identical season because the Panthers, besides they traded their greatest participant and by some means had a much less painful final sport regardless of dropping by 30 within the play-in match. In fact the one skilled workforce on this state to truly win one thing ever (Go Canes, Stanley Cup Champs!!) would not even play in Charlotte.
Regardless of how the town began rallying across the workforce once more final yr, the Panthers stay perhaps the sixth hottest NFL workforce in North Carolina. The Steelers, Eagles, Giants, Payments, Patriots, and so forth all have bigger fanbases domestically and the Panthers play highway video games in their very own stadium far too typically. Living proof, my in-laws are Eagles followers and my 3 yr previous nephew most certainly has by no means heard of the workforce within the state he lives in. They might reasonably chew glass than have him be a fan of the Panthers and I am unable to say I blame them. Being a fan of this time is signing up for some sort of meaningless existence the place your workforce making the playoffs with a dropping document is sort of a Tremendous Bowl however you are not thought of as having actually suffered like different NFL fanbases.
Jake:
I as soon as noticed a kind of “Most Hated NFL Crew on this State” maps. The Panthers are so irrelevant {that a}) they did not even get picked by every other state and b) they had been additionally voted probably the most hated workforce in North Carolina.
Drew:
The Carolina Panthers are an ideal illustration of their metropolis. An eternally mediocre, uninsulting, company washed product that would be the one forgotten merchandise on any record. Charlotte is a cultural black gap full of architecturally elevated soviet bloc residences which function mill homes for the bean counters of UPtown. Our wine and cheese followers are serenaded by a ted lasso impersonator as they arrive in the midst of the first quarter and depart initially of the 4th.
Cam Newton was the best factor that ever occurred to us however could not win over the Boomer Ford 150 drivers of rock hill that signify half our fan base as a result of he danced and wore humorous hats. (Spoiler: it was often because he is black)
David:
I am at the least 57% certain the Panthers are only a coaching arc for David Tepper’s future gig at working the Presidential Council of Health. Might God have mercy on us all. Given His humorousness, nevertheless, we’ll in all probability have one other Helene-level hurricane hit the Carolinas earlier than the Panthers get to the Tremendous Bowl once more. They’re going to be blown out by the Raiders as a result of we deserve that sort of ache.
Allan:
Hold Pounding is the right motto for this workforce, which is as stubbornly unable to confess errors and alter course as the common Charlotte metropolis council member. Why end these troublesome airport renovations when you may simply hold pounding [more travelers into that tiny American Airlines terminal]?
To exist as a Panthers fan is to embrace virtually. We virtually gained the NFC championship as a second-year enlargement workforce. We virtually beat the Patriots in Tremendous Bowl XXXVIII. Cam Newton virtually dove on that ball to try to win Tremendous Bowl 50 over the decaying noodle arm of Peyton Manning. Once we gave the Rams our patented virtually scare in final yr’s wild card sport, I couldn’t even muster the vitality to be dissatisfied. And in spite of everything, I had cash on the Rams, identical to each different financial institution bro in Uptown Charlotte who selected monetary practicality over their goals.
We adopted Hold Pounding as our motto when our first nice defensive participant spoke these phrases in a pregame hype speech as he was dying. We didn’t deserve you Sam Mills, and also you actually deserve a greater legacy than Bryce Younger getting an enormous extension so he can bunny hop to go the ball over his personal linemen for the subsequent 4 years.
However hey, being virtually good is normally sufficient to win our pathetic division.
Adam:
I am unable to cease laughing from the sooner entry from a man who mentioned “successful the NFC South is like having the largest dick in kindergarten”.
That is Bryce Younger.
Carlos:
- Our quarterback cannot see over his personal dashboard, let alone our guards.
- Our first spherical draft choose Offensive Deal with is rawer than Ol’ Soiled likes it. He is in all probability going to have to begin instantly.(not kidding)
- River barges and Planets flip the nook quicker than Panthers undertaking gamers.
- I advised everybody on right here a number of years in the past that Charlotte is Nice Worth Atlanta, now all of America is aware of.
- Jaycee Horn is like your Dad: he is the person….when he is round 🙁
- Dan Morgan offers large “Administration likes the reduce of his jib…” vibes
Need to be a part of Defector’s NFL previews? It is easy: Simply e mail us right here and inform us why your workforce sucks. Subsequent up: Inexperienced Bay Packers.
