NFL power rankings: Panthers land in 'no chance in hell' at Super Bowl tier

The Panthers are not expected to win the Super Bowl.

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (6) reacts with teammates after scoring the game winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers missed the playoffs last year, which means that, like 17 other teams, they had no shot at winning the Super Bowl. Bleacher Report set out to determine how likely each team that went home before the postseason began can make it to the Super Bowl like the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

These were separated into tiers, and unfortunately, the Panthers found themselves in the worst one. They're not at the bottom of the worst one, but there's still no confidence in Carolina making it back to the big game since the 2015 season.

Panthers land in dubious tier for non-playoff teams

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon listed eight teams that missed the playoffs last year that have "no chance in hell" of making it to the Super Bowl. Among those teams, only the New England Patriots were higher.

So in theory, the Panthers have a better chance than the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints. Gagnon said, "I guess you never know what Bryce Young might be capable of in Year 3, but this was still the worst defense in the NFL in '24 and they're not exactly loaded with draft capital or salary-cap room."

The Panthers defense needs a ton of work, and a random tiebreaker actually means that the 2025 team will play a third-place schedule not a fourth-place one. That can make a big difference, and it makes it a little harder to envision a shock run to the Super Bowl.

Additionally, the Panthers don't, as Gagnon mentioned, have a ton of cap space or picks to fill the holes they have. This should still be a fairly flawed team in 2025, so the Super Bowl is absolutely a long shot.

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