The Carolina Panthers Are Far From Being A Contender In The NFC
With a 5-12 record as the 2024 season ended, there was not much excitement or anything to be happy about when it came to the Panthers. All eyes were on the offseason to see what General Manager Dan Morgan could do to bring the team back to the top.
Taking all the way back to the NFL Draft, Carolina was in desperate need of a playmaker to shake up the offense. That unique player that Carolina hopes is going to get the offense into a groove to avoid being 31st in passing yards… like in 2024. Tetairoa McMillian’s name was called with the eighth pick to come to the Queen City, and what a day to be a Panther fan.
Alongside selecting the rookie wide-out, the Panthers would also draft Jimmy Horn Jr. and sign Hunter Renfrow (who has a remarkable ability to create plays in the slot) to increase depth within the position and give quarterback Bryce Young more weapons down the stretch of games.
Throughout training camp, the morale amongst the team was very high. At this point, fans were happy with the pieces that this team brought to both sides of the ball. Signing players like Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to the offensive line helped big time to allow Young more time to throw the ball, which was one of the many weaknesses of Carolina’s last season.
Coming into the 2025 season, the Carolina Panthers organization emphasized the importance of execution, scoring early in games, and making the right plays. While slowly approaching Week 4’s matchup against the New England Patriots, the Panthers so far have accomplished their season goals…somewhat.
After losing five straight games (including preseason), the Panthers finally got their first win in Week 3, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 30-0. They executed, scored early in the game, and made the right plays in front of their home crowd.
However, the season hasn’t gone too well for the Panthers, who lost in both Weeks 1 and 2. Even with that recent win, the offense still looks lackadaisical. Not being able to score efficiently has been a concern. Young has been struggling to get the ball into the spots needed for McMillian, Legette, and even Renfrow. Carolina’s defense has not been the best either, but there have been improvements.
In their Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars, Carolina was routed 26-10, as the offense struggled mightily to establish any consistent offense. Bryce Young threw two picks, and the most yardage from any receiver was the rookie T-Mac with 68 yards. Their game against the Arizona Cardinals was just as bad.
As of Sunday evening, September 28, 2025, the Panthers are now 1-3 after losing horribly to the New England Patriots 42-13. What a terrible loss, coming just a week after defeating Atlanta.
Despite the rocky start, there are still plenty of games left in the season, and believe it or not, the Panthers have the talent to turn things around. Bryce Young has shown flashes of what made him the franchise quarterback, but consistency remains the missing piece. With McMillian gaining more experience each week and Renfrow providing a steady veteran presence, Carolina’s passing game has the potential to find its rhythm if the offensive line continues to hold up for Young.
On the defensive side, the unit has shown signs of life, especially in the dominant shutout against Atlanta. If Carolina can build on that performance and tighten up in the secondary, the Panthers could find themselves in close games more often rather than playing from behind outside of their New England game.
The key moving forward will continue to be execution. The win over the Falcons was a glimpse of what this group is capable of when everything actually clicks. Now, the challenge is to bring that same energy and precision every week going into Week 5.
As the Panthers head into the heart of the 2025 season, fans can only hope that the early struggles are growing pains on the road to a stronger finish. The pieces are in place; it’s just a matter of whether Carolina can put it all together before it’s too late.