NFL analyst shares surprising prediction for 2025 Panthers

The Carolina Panthers finished as one of the eight worst teams in the NFL last year. They were once again pretty far from the playoffs, as a 1-7 start never even allowed them to consider the possibility. The future could be bright, as it's hard to imagine a more dull reality than what the Panthers have experienced since 2018.

One NFL insider believes the Panthers' future is particularly bright, in fact. There are five teams that could take a "major leap" forward next year and surprise everyone. The Panthers, perhaps to the surprise of the NFL world, were one of those five teams.

NFL expert expects huge progress for 2025 Panthers

CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr believes the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers are in line to be significantly better than they were in 2024, which seems to be a common consensus about Carolina. They're building something.

"The Panthers were a bad football team last season, but the final record is deceiving. Carolina was highly competitive in the second half of last season, going 4-5 in its final nine games," Kerr said. "The key piece in all this was Bryce Young, who had 20 touchdowns to eight turnovers after he returned from his benching in Week 2 -- including 10 total touchdowns to zero turnovers in the final three games."

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kerr says the Panthers "may have something in Young after all," noting that Young is firmly beginning to resemble a QB worthy of the top selection. "Carolina averaged 23.1 points per game in Young's final 10 starts, compared to just 12.3 in his first 18. Significant progress has been made on that side of the ball," he said.

The feeling around the Panthers is that they now have the coach and quarterback combination to win more games, although the power rankings after the season officially ended have not been kind. Still, there's a general sense that this may be the calm before the storm, and Kerr seems to agree with that assessment.

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