Carolina Panthers likely to be in playoff hunt, NFL writer claims

On Monday, John Buhler of FanSided released a list of seven NFL teams he feels will be the most-improved in 2025. He also states that while he believes none of these clubs will be hoisting a Lombardi Trophy, he mentions a “ceiling” for each. The top spot on his list belongs to the New England Patriots. Meanwhile, you can find Dave Canales’s squad at No. 7.

“How I feel about the 2025 Carolina Panthers,” explains Buhler, “is how I felt about the 2024 Arizona Cardinals going in. This was a team that was so beyond cooked heading into the previous campaign, but found ways to win games that few people anticipated. It allowed them to enter the next season with a bit more confidence than expected…”

Improving Panthers should be in playoff contention in 2025

Canales and Young — Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) with head coach Dave Canales after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Cardinals finished 4-13 in 2023, then doubled their wins this past season. “No, Arizona did not make the playoffs last year,” added Buhler, “but the Cards were in it until the end. That is kind of how I think it could go for Carolina this year. Yes, Tampa Bay owns the division, and there’s Atlanta potentially on the uptick, too. My big belief in the Panthers has everything to do with their second-year head coach, Dave Canales. Long-frustrating owner David Tepper has been awfully quiet this offseason, for the better."

“This team will go as far as Bryce Young’s arm will take them this season,” said Buhler. “Right now, I view Carolina as a 7-10 team with maybe a 10-7 ceiling if Dan Morgan hit on all his picks.” Buhler’s “ceiling” for Canales’s club also included a possible NFC South title, albeit with a first-round playoff exit.

Buhler’s forecast for a 7-10 finish would make it eight straight losing campaigns for the franchise, and seven straight years with 10 or more setbacks. If the Panthers somehow do indeed upend the Buccaneers at the top of the NFC South, it would be Carolina’s first division title since 2015.

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