The Panthers are still really bad in one key NFL stat, but it hasn't hurt as much

The Carolina Panthers had arguably the worst pass rush in the entire NFL last year. So what did they do to remedy that for 2025?

They made a host of changes, including signing Pat Jones, drafting Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, and cutting Jadeveon Clowney.

Scourton has been solid, but he isn't racking up sacks. Jones is out for the year and has been for weeks. Umanmielen has provided virtually nothing. Cutting Clowney might've been a mistake.

That's because the Panthers are now still really bad at rushing the passer. They're 31st in sacks. They still cannot get pressure on the quarterback, and that should be incredibly damaging to a defense.

However, it hasn't really hurt them as much, shockingly. David Newton wrote, "This is shocking for several reasons. First, Carolina put a lot of effort into adding talent to improve on a last-place ranking in sacks (27) a season ago and are headed for a worse year (18 so far)."

Sacks and pressure, according to Newton, are crucial in Ejiro Evero's defensive scheme. "But the Panthers are still much better on defense overall (16th in points allowed) and in position to make the playoffs," he conclued.

How can this be? Well, the Panthers have improved a ton in other areas. Scourton's been mediocre as a pass rusher, but he's great against the run. Derrick Brown leads the team in sacks, but he's also better against the run.

The Panthers got a whole lot better at stopping the run, which has helped. The secondary has also played really well, which helps mitigate the lack of sacks. Sure, it's hard to cover for so long, but Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are good enough to hold it down a little longer.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) and fumbles the ball as Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) recovers the football during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

And as Newton mentioned, this defense has been much improved in spite of the glaring hole. QBs have all day, but they're not finding too many open receivers, and it's not leading to a boatload of points.

After giving up the most points in NFL history last season, that factoid is supremely important. And if nothing else, we can expect GM Dan Morgan to aggressively attack the pass rush this offseason like he did with the run defense in 2025.

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