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20 minutes into season, Carolina Panthers already have major weakness exposed

It could be a long year for the defense.
Zach Roberts|
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) celebrates his touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) celebrates his touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers did a lot of work to build up the front of their defense. They resolved over the offseason not to let the front line be so awful, so they spent a lot of draft picks up front and added several key free agents. The secondary was also in rough shape, but Carolina only sparingly addressed that.

That ended up leaving the middle of the defense completely untouched, and when Josey Jewell, who was still in the concussion protocol months later, was released, it made for a gaping hole in the middle. Just a quarter and a half into the year, that's already hurting the Panthers.

They couldn't really cover tight ends last year, but it's even worse in 2025. The first touchdown the defense gave up was a miscommunication by the linebackers, as they let tight end Hunter Long walk away uncovered for an easy touchdown.

It appeared as if Christian Rozeboom, the only real addition to that position this offseason, tried to direct traffic to cover the crossing route, but no one heard it, and he walked in untouched. It came after a disappointing turnover, marking a really poor run for the Panthers.

Tight ends like Cole Strange and Hunter Long are solid, but they're not stars in the NFL. When Carolina has to take on the Kyle Pitts and Cade Ottons of the world (who are good but not elite even then), it could be a really tough day for the defense.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.

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