GM Dan Morgan’s Biggest 2026 Mistake Could Haunt Panthers’ Playoff Hopes

The Carolina Panthers are still in the hunt in the NFC South, but the lack of depth has been exposed by several injuries. This is a question for general manager Dan Morgan to answer.

Although the Carolina Panthers have a losing record, they are still in contention for the NFC South Division title. But the second half of the season will test the depth that general manager Dan Morgan brought in for this team.

The last three games for the Carolina Panthers have shown that there are many problems with this team, even though they are still in the race for the NFC South with a 3-5 record.

Morgan's biggest mistake this year was not bringing in more depth at cornerback.

The Panthers’ Cornerback Depth Has Been Exposed

Will Lee III and Akayleb Evans have also dealt with injuries, further depleting the Panthers' secondary. With Lee unavailable against Denver and Evans on injured reserve, Carolina had little dependable depth behind its starting cornerbacks. Against the Broncos, the Panthers were forced to start Wilson and Thornton, who struggled in the game.

We looked into the Panthers' issues with cornerback depth in a previous article, but now the problems are fully visible.

The Panthers were called for four defensive pass interference penalties against Denver. One of Wilson's penalties was declined in favor of a taunting penalty against him on the same play. Two of the accepted DPI penalties came on drives that ended in Denver touchdowns.

When a defense is getting beat consistently on the outside, that is a very difficult situation to overcome.

While injuries are part of football, Morgan did not do enough to make sure there were players available on the roster who could step in when a starter went down.

The secondary simply does not have enough dependable depth to handle the loss of both Horn and Jackson.

Standing Pat at the Trade Deadline Added to the Problem

The Carolina Panthers are still in the hunt in the NFC South, but the lack of depth has been exposed by several injuries. Thi — Oct 25, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) runs against Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) and defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) during the first half at Bank of America Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were several cornerbacks who could have been of interest to the Panthers as the November 10 trade deadline approached.

The Panthers have limited salary-cap space and would have had to consider the cost of bringing in a player for the short term, as well as the draft capital that would be required to acquire that player.

As previously discussed in why the Panthers stayed quiet at the trade deadline, Morgan ultimately decided not to make a move.

The Panthers will have to find a long-term solution at the cornerback position, but for now, they are relying on the players already on the roster until some of the injured players return to the field.

In other news, Carolina's injured players are making progress toward returning to the field. On Wednesday, the practice windows for cornerback Mike Jackson, running back Jonathon Brooks and wide receiver Xavier Legette were opened, while Jaelan Phillips returned to practice after missing the last three games. Jackson was listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against New Orleans.

Morgan's Decision Could Have Major Consequences

Nov 8, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan before the game at Bank of America Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Panthers are trying to build a team for years to come, and Morgan does not want to trade for a player who could hurt the team in the long run.

Carolina is currently in a position where every game counts, and the secondary cannot continue to be a liability.

Morgan's biggest mistake this season was not making a trade for a player who could help the team in the long run. He built a team with a lot of depth at many positions but not enough in the secondary.

The secondary must improve for the Panthers to have any chance of reaching the playoffs. If the team fails to do so, many will point to Morgan's decisions in building the roster.

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