Panthers get good season grade, but they shouldn't be satisfied

The Carolina Panthers are approaching the offseason with a lot of optimism after winning the NFC South and making their first playoff appearance in eight years.

Sports Illustrated contributor Gilberto Manzano graded the team's season and gave the Panthers a "B" for their efforts.

"Many viewed the Panthers’ Week 13 upset over the Rams as a fluke, but they showed in the 34–31 wild-card loss that they were just as good as the team many viewed as the best in football," Manzano wrote.

"Perhaps they just matched up well with the Rams because the coaching staff was familiar with coach Sean McVay, with coach Dave Canales spending many years in the NFC West with the Seahawks, and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spending five years working under McVay. But Carolina’s excellent coaching gave this pesky squad opportunities to even the playing field against the top teams, as evidenced by the wins vs. over Green Bay and Tampa Bay."

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker reacts after making a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers get solid grade for season

The Panthers should be satisfied with their grade, but there is a reason why they are not in the playoffs anymore and why the team did not get an A. There is still room for improvement for the Panthers, who are a team on the rise.

"While the Panthers are on the rise, they often reverted to their old ways with a handful of head-scratching losses, including being swept by the Saints. But let’s go with the Week 12 dud vs. the 49ers as the worst moment of the season," Manzano wrote.

"It was all set up for the Panthers to take control of the NFC South and show in prime-time that they’re ready for the spotlight, but Bryce Young had one of his worst games of the season, and the offense didn’t do anything with the three interceptions the defense forced against Brock Purdy. The hype train drastically slowed after theMonday Night Footballloss, but Carolina did enough to win the subpar NFC South."

If the Panthers can shore up some of their issues from this past season, they should be well on their way to a deeper playoff run in the 2026 season.

"The future suddenly looks bright for a franchise that has been among the worst over the past decade. Canales deserves a ton of credit for how much he’s improved this team since arriving two seasons ago," Manzano wrote.

"Now, the Panthers do have concerns at quarterback, but they have many reasons to believe Young is on the verge of putting it all together after his sensational playoff performance against the Rams. Carolina needs to see what Young can do with the receiving tandem of Jalen Coker and rookie sensation Tetairoa McMillan."

The Panthers will take a few weeks off before conducting their plans for free agency, which begins in the middle of March.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Rams. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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