Carolina Panthers Have Ample Connections to Super Bowl 60

Super Bowl 60 is set, and while the Carolina Panthers won't be participating, there are connections to Carolina all over both sidelines for the February 6th matchup.

The obvious connection is former Panthers QB Sam Darnold, who has become one of the great turnaround stories of the past decade. It was simply the wrong place at the wrong time for Darnold in Carolina, as he spent two seasons with the Panthers, one of which he was a backup behind Baker Mayfield.

Darnold now leads Seattle to a Super Bowl appearance and has all the help he never had in Carolina, a steady run game, the NFL’s top receiver this season in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and arguably the scariest defense in the NFL.

The connections don’t end there, though, when it comes to the Seahawks. Both the Seahawks’ receiving coach and pass game coordinator previously worked with the Panthers.

Besides Sam Darnold, several other ex-Panthers on rosters/staffs of the two SB teams.
SEA: WR coach Frisman Jackson, pass game coord. Jake Peetz, asst. ST coach Devin Fitzsimmons

NE: K'Lavon Chaisson, pass game coord. Thomas Brown, sr. def. asst Ben McAdoo, asst OL Robert Kugler
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 26, 2026

WR coach Frisman Jackson couldn’t have had a better year for his career in 2025. His WR room featured the No. 1 receiver in yards with JSN and one of the best deep threats in all of football with mid-season acquisition Rashid Shaheed, a receiver the Panthers had to face twice a year, as he was on the division rival New Orleans Saints.

Pass Game Coordinator Jake Peetz, another former Panthers coach, has helped produce a top-10 passing offense in the last two seasons he's been with Seattle, which is even more impressive since the rosters have looked completely different during that time. Both have been top of the league in production.

Peetz’s time in Carolina was under former head coach Matt Rhule. In his two-year tenure, Peetz held two positions, starting as the running backs coach, and in that role, he oversaw a historic season for Christian McCaffrey. A season in which he had over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards.

Moving across the field to the New England sideline, the Patriots also have some former Panthers coaches looking to restart the dynasty that was put on hold in 2020 when Tom Brady left.

A focal point of former Panthers on the Patriots is linebacker K’lavion Chaisson. Chaisson was on the Panthers roster for just over five months and, after departing Carolina, was on the verge of becoming a first-round bust.

His arrival in New England changed everything for him. This year with the Patriots, he recorded a career year across the board, seven and a half sacks and 54 pressures on the season, turning himself from a practice squad hopeful to a bona fide game changer.

When we talk about the Carolina Panthers' perennial lack of a pass rush, don't forget they employed K'Lavon Chaisson from March to early Sept. in 2024, but released him before he ever played in a real game.
Chaisson had 7.5 sacks for Patriots in 2025 and has been a beast today. pic.twitter.com/eO8rNQTcpw
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) January 25, 2026

If there’s anything that will haunt a Panthers fan, it’s a linebacker who was on the roster, and when he departed, became outstanding. The Panthers are in a huge need for a linebacker going into this offseason, and the way Chaisson is playing, he would have helped the Panthers this season.

If Panthers fans watching the Super Bowl are looking for someone to root for, Seattle presents the easiest choice, as they have more former Panthers on their roster and coaching staff, including the notable former starting quarterback, Sam Darnold.

Whether a Panthers supporter or simply a football fan is watching, this matchup offers more storylines than just in the game itself.

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