Preseason Week 1: The Time is Now For This Carolina Panthers Team
And here we are. As of August 8th, 2025, football is officially back. First game of the preseason as the Carolina Panthers host the Cleveland Browns at 7:00 pm EST in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina. This will be the first time these two teams face off since September 11, 2022, as Cleveland won that matchup 26-22. Throughout the offseason, fans questioned Cleveland’s decisions at quarterback. Adding Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to an already deep quarterback room did not help their cause. However, earlier in the week on August 5th, Sanders got the nod to start in this game, and he now has a significant opportunity on the road to quiet many doubters out there that he’s ready for the NFL.
Carolina looks to capture the football world with a win on their home field. As this new season draws near, this Carolina Panther team has a chance to show who they really are. This is a make-or-break season. It’s time to prove that Carolina has what it takes to be a top dog in the NFC again. It’ll take precision, health, and most of all, luck to get back on track.
Although Carolina has been known to be a decent threat on defense, the most significant attribute to success this season has to be the offense. In the end, football is all about scoring points. After averaging only 3,411 passing yards last season (which was ranked second to last in the league), expect this Panther team to come out firing with this new receiving core. With Adam Theilen and Xavier Legette at the helm, 2025 draftees Tetairoa McMillan, Jimmy Horn Jr., and six-year vet Hunter Renfrow, Carolina will have a significant increase in passing yardage this season. It all starts and ends with QB1, Bryce Young.
Young had an incredible stretch of games coming off the bench towards the end of last season to wrap up a terrible 5-12 season. With that momentum, can he bring Carolina back to prominence? This will be a long season for Carolina. With a solid win here, this can bring more enjoyment to the Carolinas.