Analyst lays out how Carolina Panthers can return to NFL playoffs in 2025

There's a blueprint to ending one of the NFL's longest playoff droughts.

Jun 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) watches quarterback Bryce Young (9) throw during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have not been to the playoffs since the 2017 season. They may not make it back this year after winning a combined seven games in 2023 and 2024, but things are trending in the right direction. They still have a roster filled with holes, but it's less porous than before.

There is a path to the playoffs, though. One analyst said their best-case scenario (which is better than the worst-case, even if it's not great) is to sneak in as a wild-card team. Another analyst has the scenario for how that can actually happen this season.

Of course, as it does with most teams, it ultimately comes down to the quarterback. Can Bryce Young be the guy he was down the stretch last season? If so, then a soft division, one that's been a bit of a laughingstock for several seasons now, could yield a Panthers playoff berth.

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon said, "The soft division gives them hope, but third-year QB Bryce Young would need to make major strides and get way more support from the league’s worst-ranked defense from 2024."

Additionally, and perhaps this is the biggest factor, the Panthers have to have a better defense. Without some key weapons, Young went 4-6 down the stretch with the NFL's worst defense, a unit that allowed more total points than any other in NFL history.

With an improved defense, it's not at all far-fetched to say the Panthers could've flipped that to 6-4, and that winning percentage would come close to a playoff spot. Therefore, if the defense is better, then things should trend upward for Carolina, and the playoffs are not totally out of the question.

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