5 Carolina Panthers who must step up in NFL playoffs

The Panthers need good games from these five to stay alive and make a run.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are in the playoffs. Even though they finished 8-9, they won enough of the games that mattered to sneak into the playoffs atop a three-way tie for first in the NFC South. They seem poised to be one-and-done.

That doesn't have to be the case. The 2025 Panthers have shown they can beat the best teams (the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers know this well), but they will not be able to do it without top-notch performances from the following players.

Rico Dowdle

Rico Dowdle has quietly been mediocre at best since his 130-yard game against the Green Bay Packers. That culminated with a disgusting performance in Week 18: seven carries for 10 yards and a fumble lost. The Panthers want to run the football and help Bryce Young out, but they've been unable to do so for weeks now. That has to change and fast.

Xavier Legette

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison (21) during the first half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Xavier Legette has been pushed down the depth chart, and the Panthers do have Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker playing really well. But their offense would be so much more dynamic if Legette was a legitimate threat. Having three solid pass-catchers on the field instead of two would open things up for Young in a big way.

Bryce Young

Excluding the dud against the Seattle Seahawks, Bryce Young has been pretty great down the stretch, and that includes Week 13 against the Rams. He's played well and it sometimes hasn't mattered, but either way, the Panthers can ill-afford a poor outing from him. He's going to have to be perfect and then some, which is perhaps an unfair situation but it's the one the Panthers are in.

Dave Canales

Dave Canales has to be at his absolute best to get the Panthers anywhere in the playoffs. No flea-flickers in the rain inside the red zone. No mistimed playcalls. No going for field goals when a touchdown is still on the table. He's got to curb all his worst tendencies now, and even that might not be enough.

Christian Rozeboom

Christian Rozeboom had a very solid Week 18 game against the Buccaneers. He has to play well in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams have three tight ends they like to use, and since it's basically only Rozeboom left in the ILB room, the onus falls on him to be good at all levels of the game this week and on, should the Panthers win.

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