Why the Panthers Can Stun the NFL and Go on a Deep Playoff Run in 2026

The Carolina Panthers shocked the world by making the playoffs in 2025. They then shocked the world simply by not getting blown out by the superior Los Angeles Rams in said playoff game.

They've technically "arrived" as a postseason contender now, as their status in a weak division should lead to at least challenging for a spot every year. Still, most aren't sold on the legitimacy of their improvement.

Many will point to Bryce Young as a reason they can't succeed. The over/under on wins for them is 6.5 on FanDuel, so oddsmakers expect regression from last year. There's generally no faith in Carolina.

That's all nonsense, and we're here to prove it.

Why the Panthers will be so much better than people think

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Winning the offseason generally means nothing. That's an on-paper assessment of what a team did. Football isn't played on paper, and things can go wrong. We thought the Panthers did well in free agency last offseason, but then Tershawn Wharton was utterly horrible.

Panthers are the offseason champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ASLzrpFz4t
— PFF (@PFF) April 30, 2026

However, when you win the offseason in terms of both free agency and the draft, that's worth noting. And when that happens to a team already on the rise in a bad division that had plenty of work to do, it's not insignificant.

The Panthers' biggest weakness last year was their pass rush, and they went out and signed Jaelan Phillips, a pressure master. They also drafted Lee Hunter who should be able to help push the pocket, so they are much better in that area.

The Panthers were also horrible in coverage across the middle, mainly because of their linebackers. They signed Devin Lloyd, one of the best-rated coverage linebackers in the entire NFL, too. They also have more safety depth to help improve that part of their coverage, too.

When the season ended, the offensive line was in horrible shape. Ikem Ekwonu was out, and Cade Mays, Austin Corbett, and Brady Christensen were in free agency. The Panthers fixed their line and then some with Luke Fortner, Rasheed Walker, Sam Hecht, and Monroe Freeling.

They also shored up a couple of other weak spots by adding Chris Brazzell and Will Lee. Again, this is all on paper, but we saw what even moderately improving on paper did in 2025. It led to three more wins and a division title.

We're also not buying the first-place schedule complaint, either. The Panthers played a third-place schedule last year, and that still meant seven eventual playoff squads (not counting the Bucs and Falcons, who tied for the most wins in the NFC South) and the two Super Bowl teams.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) and wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (15) react | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In 2026, the schedule does look tough, but they only have six playoff teams from 2025. The field will be different, but we just can't see how it'll really be that much worse of a schedule.

The Panthers overperformed en route to eight wins and the playoffs. This year, they are so much better after having shored up most of their holes, so they won't have to overperform. The division still projects as fairly lackluster, and with Carolina on the rise, it's easy to project another playoff spot.

And with how well they did with little talent in the first playoff game in a decade, we're willing to predict that postseason experience helps them in 2026 and propels them even further. Factor in the likely growth of young stars Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Nic Scourton, Bryce Young, and others, and this team could easily shock the world again.

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