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NFL schedule leak: Panthers' regular season opener features battle of top-10 picks

Carolina's week 1 opponent has been leaked.
Schuyler Callihan|
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is selected by the Carolina Panthers as the number eight pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is selected by the Carolina Panthers as the number eight pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers full 2025 schedule will release tonight at 8 p.m. ET, but as always, there will be leaks of the slate leading up to the official reveal.

Early Wednesday morning, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Carolina will be hitting the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the season.

The matchup will feature Carolina's first-round draft pick, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, going up against the No. 2 overall selection, Travis Hunter. It's way too early to tell how things will shake out gameplan-wise, of course, but Hunter will probably take on Xavier Legette and possibly Adam Thielen as well, rather than following McMillan, an unproven talent all game long.

Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how the Panthers' first-round pick performs in his official debut, especially going up against a talent like Hunter, with whom he happens to be familiar with. Last season, McMillan caught five passes for 38 yards in the matchup against Hunter and Colorado. The year prior, he went for 107 yards and a score on nine receptions.

The Panthers have not fared well in regular-season openers, compiling a record of 11-19 in the franchise's first 30 years of existence. Carolina has lost its last three openers and five of its last six. Their only win during that stretch came against the New York Jets in 2021 - the year they began 3-0.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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