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NFL.com analyst names 2 conditions for Panthers to contend for NFC South

What needs to happen for Carolina to win the division for the first time since 2015?
Tim Weaver|
Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) great Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after a game at Raymond James Stadium.
Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) great Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after a game at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

It's now been 10 years since the Carolina Panthers last won the NFC South. In the interim the division has motly been dominated one team - first by the New Orleans Saints, who won four straight division titles from 2017-2020 - and now by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have won the last four.

Heading into the 2025 season Tampa should still be considered the favorite, but Carolina appears to be the best-possible contender to knock them off that perch. According to Kevin Patra at NFL.com, the Panthers can "certainly" contend for the NFC South crownd this coming season - provided two big factors go their way.

"If quarterback Bryce Young continues to improve under Canales, as he did midway through last season, the offense takes another stride forward, and the defense turns a corner after last year's struggles, the Panthers can certainly contend for the NFC South title.

While the Buccaneers have won eight of nine meetings with the Panthers, this is still the division's best chance to produce a different winner in 2025. That's mostly because the other two teams stand no chance at all, though.

The Saints have finally sunk to the ninth level of salary cap hell and now that Aaron Rodgers has joined PIttsburgh they might have the worst quarterback room in the league. Meanwhile, the Falcons continue to fall short of their potential every season. The Kirk Cousins megadeal predictably blewup in theirfaces and until Michael Penix Jr. comes of age they're likely to remain inconsistent and vulnerable.

That makes a rising Carolina team the most dangerous rival for the Buccaneers.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.