NFL insider doesn't view Panthers-Cardinals as must-win for Carolina

The Carolina Panthers are in danger of falling to 0-2 for the third straight year under Bryce Young. After a dismal outing in Week 1, the Panthers are surely feeling some pressure to reverse that trend. After all, they did come into play last week with a little bit of hype and optimism.

It might feel like this week, which features a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, who they have dominated, is a must-win game for everyone involved. That's probably not true, according to CBS Sports insider Jared Dubin.

He listed Carolina in the "not yet" tier along with the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. For now, the pressure is not on to win a game, but it could eventually get turned up.

"Carolina looked far worse in the opener than did the Jets, and the Panthers need to start playing better quickly or some seats could get hot -- especially Bryce Young's, even after he played better down the stretch of last season," Dubin wrote.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and Carolina Panthers head coach Liam Coen met at the center of the field after the game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The important thing here is that the Panthers aren't supposed to be a contender. All talk of a playoff berth in 2025 was premature and foolhardy. This was never supposed to be a contention season, so going 0-2 isn't really that bad.

Plus, as Dubin noted, they play in the NFC South, so 0-2 isn't quite the death knell it could be. The schedule gets easier in the next month, so they could turn things around then, but it's not all that important.

"If they drop another game, they'll have to fight from behind to win the division, but it was going to be an uphill climb anyway. What really matters is looking like they belong on the field with the other team, which they didn't for most of last week's loss to the Jaguars," Dubin concluded.

What matters this week is looking competitive and fielding an NFL-level offense, not a victory. That'd be nice, but it's not that important in the grand scheme of things. At least not for this season, where the Panthers probably still need a high draft pick.

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