Carolina Panthers get sterling midseason grade after low expectations

The Panthers have emerged as a playoff contender after a shaky start in 2025. What kind of midseason grade was Dave Canales’s team given after nine games?

Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) celebrates recovering a fumble by Green Bay Packers wide receiver Savion Williams (83) during their football game Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nine weeks and one game into its 106th season, the National Football League has seen its share of unpredictability. Every team in the league has lost at least two games, and there has already been a quarterback change or two for various reasons.

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports handed out midseason grades for all 32 teams. It’s safe to say that it has been a year of improvement for Dave Canales’s Carolina Panthers, and Sullivan’s “A” grade reflects that.”

“The expectation for the Panthers was low entering 2025, said Sullivan. “Folks did not think they’d be a game behind the Buccaneers for first place in the division and in the hunt for a wild card spot to begin the year, but here we are. Carolina has already matched its win total from last season and is fresh off one of the biggest upsets of the season as they defeated the Packers at Lambeau Field.”

The Panthers are 4-1 in their last five games, with all four of those victories by seven points or less. The offense has been led by one of the team’s free-agent additions in the offseason.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) breaks away for a long gain with less than a minute left in the game against the Green Bay Packers during their football game Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Carolina won 16-13. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Rico Dowdle has been a diamond in the rough for them as the veteran back has taken the NFL by storm,” added Sullivan “His 735 yards rushing and 5.6 yards per carry rank third-highest in the league. It hasn’t been perfect for the Panthers as they are averaging just 18.9 points per game (sixth-worst in the NFL), but to find themselves above .500 at this point when factoring in their expectations coming into the year deserves an “A” grade.

Some may argue that Canales’s club may not be as big of a surprise as advertised. After all, the team won four of its final nine games in 2024 after a 1-7 start.

Quarterback Bryce Young finished strong, and general manager Dan Morgan was busy this offseason adding talent—most notably on defense. All told, these Panthers bear watching the remainder of the season, and who know what kind of grade this team will be given if they manage their first winning campaign since 2017?

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