NFL analyst gives answer to whether Panthers are believable as Super Bowl contenders

Entering Monday night’s game at Indianapolis between the 49ers and Colts, seven teams have already secured postseason berths in 2025. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots are headed to the AFC playoffs. In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles have won a second straight division title, while the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers are playoff bound.

NFL.com’s Jeff Chadiha took a look at 18 potential Super Bowl contenders, and whether he’s buying or selling their chances of hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

The 8-7 Carolina Panthers are all alone in first place in the NFC South after Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Buccaneers. The team is on the verge of doing something they haven’t done in a decade. As for Dave Canales’s team being a Super Bowl LX champion, Chadiha isn’t sold on their chances.

“It’s been a fun ride in Carolina,” said the veteran NFL writer, “as the Panthers have turned into legitimate playoff contenders. Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay put them in position to claim their first NFC South title since 2015 and their first playoff appearance since 2017. The question the Panthers must answer in the next two weeks is whether they can finish. They host Seattle next weekend, but it’s more likely that a rematch against the Buccaneers in the season-finale is when this division race will be decided.”

Canales’s club is 7-4 in its last 11 games following a 1-3 start this season. They have certainly had their ups and downs, but have risen up against the better clubs in the league.

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates with center Austin Corbett (63) during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“The Panthers certainly looked like the better team lately,” added Chadiha. “While the Buccaneers have lost three consecutive games—all to division foes—Carolina hasn’t lost two straight since the first two weeks of the season. The Panthers also have an improved defense and a quarterback in Bryce Young who has proven to be clutch in late-game situations."

"Of the 14 wins Young has in his career," explained Chadiha, "12 have involved game-winning drives. That’s a good sign for a team on the rise, but it’s also not time to believe the Panthers will be playing deep into January.”

First things first. Carolina needs to wrap up the NFC South, which obviously won’t be any easy task over the final two weeks of the season.

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