Why these Carolina Panthers may have already climbed as high as they're going to

Whatever happens the rest of the way, we can say with absolute certainty that this 2025 NFL season has been a success for the Carolina Panthers.

They're in year two of a very young head coach, and they're contending for a division title in Week 16 and have won more games this year than the previous two combined.

Even if they lose out, this season has seemingly been an inspiring step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it might also represent the peak of this rebuild.

The Panthers may not get any better than this

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) walk on the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The combination of Dave Canales as head coach and Bryce Young at quarterback is admittedly a little shaky. Young has his flaws, and so does Canales. Neither one seems particularly capable of overcoming the other's issues on a consistent basis.

That is concerning point number one about these Panthers. They can't ever become a consistent winner if the offensive success varies so greatly from week to week.

The second, and perhaps most concerning point, is that this team has already way overperformed. They're 7-7, but the point differential of -53 suggests they're winning games they shouldn't. In other words, they're not as good as you think.

That's all well and good for an up-and-coming team, but it doesn't exactly bode well for the future. Unless the front office is also thinking that this team isn't as good as it seems, then the right moves won't be made.

Plus, it impacts scheduling. The Panthers are negative and will likely stay negative in point differential with a third-place schedule. Is there any reason to believe they will do better against a first or second-place schedule?

Overperforming and winning all these close games is not sustainable. Just ask the 2024 and 2025 Kansas City Chiefs. They were incredible in one-score games in 2024 en route to the Super Bowl. Now, without any such luck, even having bad luck there, they're eliminated from the postseason.

The Panthers have a projected cap space of almost $30 million, and they really need to sign at least a few of the following free agents:

Kyle Pitts
Dallas Goedert
Arden Key
Trey Hendrickson
Matt Milano
Kaden Elliss
Devin Lloyd
Kevin Byard
Kyle Duggar

There are others, and more positions to be addressed, but those are some names the Panthers need. Are they going to sign enough of them to make a difference? Maybe, but the odds are better that this team will still have holes in 2026.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws the football during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

With those holes, an inconsistent coach, an inconsistent quarterback, and a harder schedule mean this team could be headed in the wrong direction pretty quickly. I hope I'm wrong.

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