2025-26 Carolina Panthers Season Was An Absolute Success
2025 was nothing short of an amazing season for the Carolina Panthers. Despite coming up short against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, 31-34, this team has plenty to look forward to in the fall of 2026.
The 2025 Carolina Panthers season marked a notable step forward for a franchise that had been in the NFL’s middle to lower tier for years. Under second-year head coach Dave Canales, Carolina improved from a 5-12 record in 2024 to 8-9 in 2025, a four-win jump that brought the NFC South division title to the Carolinas and the team’s first playoff berth since 2017.
At the heart of the Panthers’ growth was a more consistent identity on both sides of the ball. After seemingly many years of instability, the offense began to show cohesion, driven by a developing Bryce Young, who stepped up to the challenge in many ways this season. Young delivered career highs across the board in 2025, throwing for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a 63.6 % completion percentage. Though not elite by league standards, those numbers represented clear progression and earned the Panthers’ decision to exercise his fifth-year contract option through 2027.
Young’s leadership in close games played a major part in Carolina’s competitive shift. He was among the NFL leaders in game-winning drives, helping the Panthers capture several tight victories. With a franchise-record performance of 448 passing yards in an overtime win against the Falcons, Young’s performance was purged on the league’s radar based on his potential and emerged as one of the season’s signature moments. With Young coming back next season in Carolina, his late-season command and clutch play this season hint at a cornerstone building block for the future.
With the eighth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected Tetairoa McMillan, and what a rookie campaign. Tetairoa McMillan’s rookie season with the Carolina Panthers was nothing short of impressive, immediately validating the Panthers’ decision to select him in the draft. McMillan led all rookie wide receivers with 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, setting a franchise rookie receiving record in the process. The sky’s the limit for McMillan as he is set to be a key piece to this Panther offense.
The run game and defense also made tangible strides. Carolina’s rushing offense improved, with Chubba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle at the helm, and its rush defense saw one of the biggest statistical jumps compared with the previous year, helping the team control more phases of games.
Additionally, the 2025 draft class provided valuable depth and emergence from several rookies, contributing to a more balanced roster and giving fans optimism about the Panthers’ competitiveness.
Overall, the 2025 season was a step in the right direction: a return to relevancy, meaningful improvement in key statistical areas, and a foundation of young talent poised to grow. The next challenge will be translating competitive promise into consistent winning and deeper playoff runs next season and beyond.