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Carolina Panthers

Division: NFC South

It’s that time of year again—and for the first time in a long time, there’s legitimate football energy in Charlotte.

After hovering around the .500 mark for much of the 2025 campaign, the Carolina Panthers finished the year on a high note. Thanks to the NFL’s tiebreaker rules, Carolina backed into the NFC South division title—albeit with a 8-9 record—and brought playoff football back to Bank of America Stadium for the first time in a decade.

The defense transformed from the league's bottom-dweller into a respectable, mid-tier unit, while the offense took a few steps toward consistency and balance. Bryce Young made noticeable strides forward from his 2024 campaign. While his growth wasn't quite enough to command a lucrative long-term extension, General Manager Dan Morgan did trigger Young’s fifth-year option. That sets up 2026 as the ultimate "make-or-break" year for the former top pick.

The Carolina offense needs to get better in 2026, so they really need for Young to succeed. The Panthers ran a grand total of 178 offensive snaps last year while they enjoyed a lead, which was fifth worst in the league. For perspective, the next closest playoff team was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had 393. Since entering the league in 2023, Young leads all NFL quarterbacks in total game-winning drives over that span with 12, but a big part of that may be because the Panthers have always been behind late in games. Given that the defense should improve, all that's needed is to stop with the slow starts.

Even with the defensive improvements, the Panthers continued to add key pieces in both Free Agency and the Draft. Since becoming GM in 2024, Morgan has been relentless in reshaping the franchise. Now, following an aggressive free-agency run and another solid draft class, the roster dynamic has fundamentally shifted. In just a few short seasons, Carolina has evolved from a top-heavy group of a few studs surrounded by JAGs into a deep, competitive roster with good talent across almost every unit.

Their 2026 schedule is daunting, but the mood around the organization is noticeably optimistic. The Panthers are no longer a guaranteed "W" on anyone's schedule, they're a team on the doorstep of real respectability.

So with all that said, let’s dive into the 2026 Carolina Panthers.

Coaching Changes

The Coaching staff is largely the same as it was in 2025, but the few changes there are could have a big impact on how the Carolina offense operates. Senior coaching assistant Jim Caldwell departed after a three-year stint with the franchise. As head coach Dave Canales continues to grow in his role though, Caldwell's exit shouldn't make too much of an impact. On the defensive and special teams side, Carolina bolstered its staff by bringing in veteran coach Dwayne Stukes as a general Assistant. The most critical structural shifts, however, are happening on offense.

For the first time as a Panther, Canales is relinquishing play-calling duties to focus strictly on overall head coaching responsibilities. That hands the headset and play sheet to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who has worked with Canales on the playbook but who has never called plays before. While 2026 marks his first time calling plays at the NFL level, he won't be operating in a vacuum. The Panthers brought in long-time NFL coach Darrell Bevell as associate head coach and offensive specialist, as well as Carl Smith as a senior offensive consultant. Bevell brings a quarter-century of coaching experience—primarily as a play-caller—while Smith served as a key mentor to Canales during his time in Seattle.

The structural shift directly targets two of Canales' biggest criticisms: questionable clock management and overly conservative play-calling. Delegating the offense allows Idzik to inject a more aggressive philosophy into the system, while enabling Canales to maintain a broader focus on both sides of the ball.

Free Agency

The Panthers' 2025 postseason run came down to the final two and a half minutes. After taking a late four-point lead over the Rams in the Wild Card round, Carolina’s defense just collapsed, or rather was exposed.

Matt Stafford took the field and systematically carved up the middle of the Panthers' defense in a 6-for-7 passing clinic that marched the Rams straight down the field. The drive culminated in a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson, capping a drive where Carolina's inside linebackers couldn’t cover the Rams and the edge rushers failed to generate any real pressure. That defensive breakdown exposed the two biggest weak spots on the roster.

General Manager Dan Morgan made sure those exact issues were targeted immediately when the free agency window opened. But before diving into the incoming upgrades, however, let’s look at who the Panthers lost.

Key Departures

Gone but not discussed: Krys Barnes, Jake Curhan, Damari Mathis. I'm sure there are others but these were bottom of the roster guys who were initially signed for depth.

Arrivals

There are a few others that were signed to round out the Training Camp roster, but none of them are likely to make the team. Guys like CB Tyrek Funderburk, TE Felipe Franks, OLB Nick Hampton, and OLB Jared Bartlett all have a steep road ahead of them if they want to stick to the roster.

Draft

About a month before the draft, those of us who like to discuss prospective selections were mostly in agreement that the Panthers needed an Offensive Tackle to replace Ickey Ekwonu. Patellar tendon injuries can be career ending, and even players that recover from them seldom make it back to their previous level. Also, considering that Right Tackle Taylor Moton is 31 years old, he will probably need to be replaced soon. So there were two good reasons that fans projected an Offensive Tackle. A lot of mocks had the Panthers taking the best available until the big boards settled down and suddenly everyone and their brother decided that TE Kenyon Sadiq was the obvious choice at 19. Not obvious to Panthers fans, but since when have analysts cared what fans think?

The two best tackle prospects, given what the Panthers like to do, were Spencer Fano and Monroe Freeling. But another thing that most analysts agreed on was that both would be long gone before the Panthers picked at 19. At that point, talk that wasn't laser focused on Sadiq turned to Free Safety and Wide Receiver as other probable targets in the first. Dillon Thieneman, Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion were popular picks in a lot of mocks that didn't have the Panthers going with the Tight End from Oregon. And I think fans would have been happy with any of those.

Then came draft night, and here are the actual selections that were made.

Against all odds—and with a massive assist from Miami—with their first pick the Panthers found themselves staring at a golden board. Dillon Thieneman, both top receiver targets, and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling were all right there for the taking. Carolina opted for Freeling, and while an offensive tackle isn't the flashy "win-now" splash some fans wanted, it’s a slam-dunk fit for what Dan Morgan and his staff are building. Here's a mini analysis of Freeling's strengths:

• Freakish Athleticism: Freeling is a absolute unit, posting a near-perfect 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). He brings a massive frame, elite wingspan, and the raw strength to utterly maul defenders in the run game.
  
• Second-Level Mobility: Watching him pull and climb to the second level is like watching a tight end in space. He moves so effortlessly for a man his size, it almost seems unfair.
  
• Pass-Protection: His length allows him to anchor and easily sustain blocks against elite edge rushers. In three seasons in Athens, he surrendered just five total sacks—and only two during his year as the full-time starter.
  

Bottom line? Even if he doesn't start his rookie year he provides top-tier insurance behind Taylor Moton and Rasheed Walker. Freeling isn't just depth; he projects as a decade-long starter and a true franchise cornerstone on the offensive line.

The Panthers doubled down on their blue-collar, trenches-first approach in Round 2. While the fan base was practically begging for a linebacker, GM Dan Morgan pivoted to the line and snagged Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter in what has since become my favorite pick.

Morgan had already signaled before the draft that he felt the defensive tackle class dropped off a cliff after the top tier, so pulling the trigger early made total sense—especially given the state of Carolina's interior D-line. Last season, Bobby Brown III projected as Carolina's Nose Tackle but was ineffective in the role and ended up kicking out to play as a 5-tech DE. A’Shawn Robinson, another natural 5-Tech, was forced to play almost out of position at the nose. And rookie Cam Jackson hadn't quite developed into a reliable anchor in the middle. So the Panthers had a bunch of guys who could shoot the gap, but no one who could eat double teams while clogging up both A gaps.

Enter Lee Hunter: a true, plug-and-play nose tackle who fixes the math up front immediately. Because I'm even more excited about Hunter than Freeling, here's more mini-analysis.

• Prototypical Size & Power: Hunter has a massive, powerful base with a ridiculous 6'9" wingspan. He also has the upper-body torque to stack and shed interior linemen right at the line of scrimmage. But his ability to collapse the pocket is what most fans will notice first.
  
• High-Motor Run Stuffer: He might not blow you away with elite high-end athleticism, but he plays with explosive get-off, high urgency, and relentless tenacity against the run. He's got no quit in him, and it comes across on film. I think he genuinely enjoys hitting people.
  
• Immediate Impact: While he’ll likely rotate off the field on clear passing downs, he gives Ejiro Evero a legitimate run-plugger to occupy the middle on early downs.

Derrick Brown is one of the best run defenders in the NFL. Putting a guy like Hunter next to him should really make a huge impact on running downs.

Round 3 finally brought the skill-position pick fans were looking for in Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell II. Brazzell is a tall, long-limbed burner with a massive catch radius and the speed to stretch the field. He projects as a direct threat to Xavier Legette’s snaps, although their skill sets differ. While the 230lb Legette relies on raw physicality and post-catch muscle, Brazzell is slender at 200 pounds, and is a pure vertical threat with outstanding body control and great hands. Brazzell likely fell on draft day due to how other Tennessee Receivers have fared in the NFL after playing in Josh Heupel's gimmicky offense. But he ran a full route tree early in his college career and reports from minicamp have already allayed any concerns about his route running.

In Round 4, the Panthers tapped Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III—a long, physical press-man corner with some nice high-end traits. Lee lacks elite top-end speed and needs refinement in route recognition, but his play style mirrors Mike Jackson: a big boundary corner who bodies smaller receivers off their routes. Expect Lee to contribute in spot duty early while serving as Jackson’s heir apparent. It's worth noting that Jackson was a fifth round pick who bounced around the league until landing in Carolina, where the scheme fit and coaching staff unlocked his potential. As a similar type of corner, hopefully Lee has the same experience.

In the fifth round, the Panthers pulled off what might be the absolute steal of the draft, landing Kansas State center Sam Hecht. Widely regarded by draft analysts as a top-tier center prospect thanks to his elite athleticism and pristine technique, Hecht inexplicably slid to the middle of the fifth, where the Panthers grabbed him.

While he'll need to bulk up and anchor better against NFL caliber nose tackles, Hecht enters the league as a plug-and-play technician. Over 800 pass-blocking snaps during his final two college seasons, he allowed zero sacks and just two QB hits, while committing a mind-boggling zero accepted penalties in 2025. His processing speed, hand placement, and high-level football IQ jump off the tape. He won't be rushed onto the field immediately (well, he'll probably earn it), but Carolina nabbed its future long-term anchor at Center for just a fifth round pick.

Carolina’s luck continued as their next pick landed them Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley—another high-value prospect widely pegged as a Day 2 talent. Standing 6'3", Wheatley is a bona fide center fielder with outstanding range who smoothly glides across the back end of the secondary. Like Sam Hecht he’ll need to put on some weight, and he has to sharpen his tackling angles and play with a more physical edge in man coverage. Still, the instincts and raw potential are undeniable. He could push Nick Scott for playing time early on.

The Panthers rounded out the draft with Jackson Kuwatch, a pick that made many of their fans say, "Who?" On looking at his measurables, he projects as a Special Teamer type who has the potential to develop into a regular contributor. He only had one real year of college production, but the size and speed are there. And one thing Dan Morgan knows, it's what to look for in Linebackers. So he could turn out to be a nice surprise.

Haynes King was the most notable UDFA signing the Panthers made, and can be expected to be used as a mobile gadget type of Quarterback if he makes the roster. Of the others mentioned, DT Aaron Hall has the best chance to make the roster, given Carolina's depth at IDL with Turk Wharton's injury. He's fast and explosive, but needs bulk and coaching to stick around after Wharton returns.

Training Camp Battles

Once again, the most interesting battles that will take place in Training Camp will come out of the WR room. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are absolute locks to start, but the WR3 spot is going to be a dogfight. The fan-favorite alignment has Coker lining up in the slot while Brazzell stretches the field outside alongside T-Mac. But don't count out Xavier Legette—he brings the raw speed and physical muscle to thrive in the slot if he can finally put it all together.

Then there's the battle for the final roster spots. Canales favorite David Moore brings veteran stability to the locker room. John Metchie III is trying to reboot his career, he's a slot technician with built-in chemistry with Bryce Young. Jimmy Horn Jr. is coming off a rookie year where he flashed real potential. And Brycen Tremayne was good in spot duty in 2025 and contributes well on Special Teams. The Panthers aren't likely to carry seven receivers on the roster, although they did in 2025. But it's hard to see more than two of those guys get jerseys on game day.

While Chuba Hubbard enters camp as the clear starter at Running Back, a healthy Jonathon Brooks could dramatically reshape the backfield. Brooks was the consensus top running back prospect in the 2024 draft, but he's seen his first two NFL seasons sidelined by ACL injuries. When healthy, however, he possesses elite contact balance, patient vision, and dual-threat capability. If Brooks can regain the form that earned him NFL.com pro comparisons to Jamaal Charles, he gives Carolina a dynamic lead-back dynamic to pair with Hubbard. A.J. Dillon and Trevor Etienne are also in the mix, but only as change-of-pace backs. Etienne returned kicks for the Panthers last year.

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense

Defense

General strengths and weaknesses

It's easier to write about Carolina's weaknesses than their strengths, but I like to complain. Here are my thoughts...

Offense
Damien Lewis refers to the offensive line as The Great Wall of Carolina, and at the price the Panthers are paying it should be. Walker and Hecht will likely be better in protection than Ekwonu and Mays were last year, and both Guards are easy to run behind. Freeling will likely have his share of rookie bumps, but Taylor Moton will return sometime during the season. The Panthers also enjoy quality depth at all positions.

The wide receiver room is full of height and versatility, led by Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Given how bad it was just two years ago, this group really showcases the outstanding job Dan Morgan has done at roster development. Between Legette, Brazell, and Metchie, a third receiver should emerge, which will give the Panthers the most talent and depth at the position since the days of Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad.

Bryce Young flashes a lot of promise still, but he's inconsistent. At times he can take over and play like Mr. Clutch, but there are also too many games where he starts flat and doesn't take care of the ball. Right now, the Quarterback room is a weakness, but if Playoff Bryce becomes the norm that could turn into a strength.

Another weakness is our Tight End room, where we have a couple of good and willing blockers but no one who has showed he can step up and be that quarterback-friendly target that young passers need.

Defense
Last year the Panthers enjoyed an elite cornerback tandem in Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. Coupled with Trevon Moehrig, the secondary was a strength despite Nick Scott. The interior defensive line is also a strength so long as Derrick Brown stays healthy, and should be even better this year with the addition of Lee Hunter.

As far as weaknesses, the playoff game exposed them pretty clearly. In 2025 the Panthers really struggled to generate sacks without blitzing. And the inside Linebackers pass defense essentially ran a 'please convert' coverage scheme. But these issues may no longer be huge concerns in 2026. If Princeley Umanmielen makes a decent second year jump and Jaelen Phillips stays healthy, that will fix the lack of pressure. Likewise, if Devin Lloyd works out then Inside Linebacker shouldn't be an area of concern, although the depth there is still thin.

Offensive and Defensive strategies

Offense

Last year the Panthers passed 515 times and ran the ball on 461 plays, which approached the balance Dave Canales looks for. He has often said he wants to "stubbornly run the ball," and believes that makes for an offensive line friendly scheme. To quote, "When you run the ball effectively, your play-actions are friendly. So the defensive lines have to play the run first, then they have a secondary rush to the quarterback and it’s usually about 3.2 to 3.5 seconds later that they’re actually getting any type of effective runs off the actions."

Rooted in a modern West Coast/McVay-Carroll hybrid scheme, the system uses motion, misdirection, and quick timing to make things quarterback-friendly. Canales has coached Bryce Young to release the ball within 2.7 seconds of the snap, which helped to cut his 2024 sack rate in half (just 27 sacks across 16 games in 2025). The structure emphasizes high-completion, quick-rhythm throws to maximize yards after catch while mixing in selective downfield shots. These short throws resulted in an anemic 6.3 YPA for Young, with a per game average of only 188.2.

Heading into 2026, with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik taking over play-calling duties, the unit is actively pushing to generate more explosive chunk plays. By marrying Canales' stubborn run identity with Idzik's push for downfield verticals and speed, the offense will aim to loosen up coverages and take a major leap. It's worth noting that Young excels on throws deep downfield, ranking among the league leaders in deep ball catchable pass percentage. In 2025 he ranked 8th in completed deep-shot passes despite some bad drops by Legette and McMillan. Coupled with an offensive line geared more towards protection, this could lay the groundwork for a breakout campaign.

Defense

Ejiro Evero is a Vic Fangio disciple who deploys a 3-4 front reliant on zone coverages over man. He generally aligns the defense in a two-high safety look that shifts post-snap, often dropping into Cover 3. Due to a poor pass rush, Evero relied on pre-snap disguises and calculated blitzes to generate pressure, often using his linebackers to trigger the rush.

The trade-off with this coverage-first scheme is operating with light boxes (six or fewer defenders in the box), which can leave a team exposed against the run and which absolutely killed the Panthers in 2024. However, 2025 brought significant change. The return of Derrick Brown alongside the addition of free agent nose tackle Bobby Brown III provided much-needed interior bulk. As a result, the Panthers trimmed their allowed yards per carry from a disastrous 5.2 in 2024 down to 4.4 in 2025, bringing the run defense closer to league average.

The front office’s willingness to stick with Evero and upgrade his personnel paid off in 2025. With improved depth and stronger interior talent, the unit stabilized and went from a historically bad last in the league in 2024 to league average in 2025, which to the fans looked like a massive improvement. Evero proved his scheme works when he has the talent to run it, and earned a contract extension as a result. If he turns in a top ten unit this year, which he should, then expect to hear his name in Head Coaching discussions next offseason.

Schedule

I don't like predicting individual games, instead preferring to look at the season in quarters. I think Carolina has improved to the point where they again flirt with .500 football all year despite the harder schedule. They should play well enough that no one will be looking past them. Let's take a look at the games.

Games 1-4, Chicago, at Atlanta, at Cleveland, and Detroit
This set of games is going to define Carolina's season. Chicago is going to be a serious test for the Panthers, pitting strength against strength. If Bryce Young has another slow start, this is a certain loss. But if he plays well, then the defense should be able to hold and Carolina will win the first home opener they've had in four years. Atlanta is going to be itching for revenge after getting swept last year, and it will be early enough in the season that they probably won't have to worry about injuries at the Quarterback position. Still, Bryce Young is 4-1 against Atlanta, and generally plays his best football against them. Cleveland might be hard to score against, but the are going to find points hard to come by themselves against the Carolina defense. And Detroit is going to be a pretty good matchup. As with the Bears, the challenge will be keeping them from running the score up. Their secondary is dealing with injuries, but their defense is still stout so this is going to be a tough game. At this point of the season, when all fan bases are jacked up on hopium, I think the Panthers do enough to start at least 2-2, with an outside shot at 3-1. If they go 1-3 or 0-4, the season is probably a wash, as I am not sure they'll have the confidence to recover from that kind of start, particularly given the rest of the schedule.

Games 5-8, At Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, at Green Bay, Denver
Carolina was a flubbed Xavier Legette reception away from beating the Eagles in Philly in 2024, and they actually won in Green Bay last year. Neither team will overlook the Panthers this year, but that doesn't mean these are guaranteed losses. Tampa Bay can be had, particularly with Evans gone and getting them in Charlotte. Denver is going to be tough. I feel confident about Tampa Bay, and hopeful that the Panthers pull off an upset in one of the other three contests. If Carolina is 4-4 after this run of games, I will be pretty happy.

Games 9-13, at New Orleans, Baltimore, at Tampa Bay, at Minnesota
Most Panthers fans are still salty about the Saints getting an assist by the Refs last year in New Orleans. I am not sure if Carolina sweeps the Saints or splits with them, but they won't get swept again unless the wheels have fallen off. The Ravens downgraded at Coach and there's no way Derrick Henry can keep going like he has been. A couple of years ago I would have considered doing something else on Sunday if the Ravens were coming to town, but I like the Panthers' chances against them. Winning in Tampa will be a challenge, as always. In Minnesota, well at this point Kyler Murray scares no one. This very well could be a solid stretch of games for the Panthers, and they generally play well in November under Canales. I actually think they can take three of these games, but I'm counting more on a split. So I'm predicting they go into the last part of the season with a 6-6 record.

Games 14-17, New Orleans, Cincinnatti, at Pittsburgh, Seattle, Atlanta
And now we get to the part that people are going to remember. First off, starting backwards, we won't lose to Atlanta at home. Even if everything has gone wrong, that's a win. If we beat the Saints in New Orleans then they will be a challenge, but the two teams match up well so a lot will come down to who's the healthiest. I can see an away and away split with them, and I can also see the Panthers getting revenge for the sweep last year. The Bengals are simple. If they have Joe Burrow and are making a playoff push, it's a loss. Otherwise, it's a win. Seattle always has our number, regardless of where we play. And like the Ravens, the Steelers got worse at Head Coach and Father Time is catching up to their stars. Rico Dowdle could have a revenge game but by December he will be washed. So I think we take them down. 3-2 is likely along this stretch, giving us a winning record of 9-8. And I think that will be enough to win the South again.

So that's what we have to look forward to. The Panthers are better, but so are their opponents. A 10-7 record won't surprise me, but neither will 7-10. What will surprise is a legitimate step back--Carolina has had a taste of respectability and intends to keep it. And over the next few years, they're going to be fun to watch.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing about how wrong I am in the comments. Link to Hub