NFL pundit breaks down why Carolina Panthers could make surprise Super Bowl run

When ain't got nothing, you ain't got nothing to lose.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) runs after making a catch during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL season has been defined by surprises and upended expectations. It's a year for upsets, upstarts and wacky finishes that nobody could have predicted coming in.

Traditional powers have suffered the most. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs are at risk of missing the playoffs entirely, the Baltimore Ravens are falling apart and there's no clear favorite on that side of the tournament bracket.

Meanwhile in the NFC, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are floundering, the Detroit Lions might not even make the postseason and there's also no clear team-to-beat in their place, with only a single game separating the one seed and the seventh seed.

Put it another way, nobody knows what's coming in January - and anything seems possible. Might even the Carolina Panthers make it all the way to the Super Bowl?

According to Bleacher Report, they just might - if for no other reason that they have nothing to lose.

"They aren't yet a good team, but neither are the sliding Buccaneers, whom they play twice in the next four weeks. Win those games and you're a surprise division champ with nothing to lose in the playoffs, and nobody is unbeatable this season."

It seems like a long shot, but the Panthers did just beat the No. 1 seed in the NFC - and if the Seattle Seahawks can pass them in the NFC West race then the Rams would be visiting Carolina for a rematch in the Wild Card round.

Realistically, that's as far as this team is going to get in 2025. Neither the Panthers nor the Buccaneers really belong in the playoffs this year, and one of them will only be getting there thanks to winning a weak NFC South division.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cheerleaders perform in the rain during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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