Why the Carolina Panthers’ Hold on the NFC South is Incredibly Precarious

Dave Canales’s club lost the last three times they took the field this past season. Are the Carolina Panthers actually equipped to defend their NFC South title?

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sirvocea Dennis (8) and linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) and defensive end Elijah Roberts (95) and defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) tackle Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It’s a team that first took the field in 1995. The Carolina Panthers have had an odd history for a franchise that has actually made a pair of Super Bowl appearances. The team has never enjoyed consecutive winning campaigns, and yet has won seven division titles. One of those occurred when they were still a member of the NFC West in 1996, and the other have obviously occurred as a tenant in the NFC South.

This past season, Dave Canales’s 8-9 club outlasted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9), Atlanta Falcons (8-9) and New Orleans Saints (6-11) to earn the top spot in the division for the first time since 2015. It was the second time in four years that a team won the NFC South with a losing record (8-9 Buccaneers in 2022). It was also the second time in Panthers’ history that the club won a division crown (7-8-1 in 2014) in its somewhat brief history.

Repeating in 2026 could be tricky for the Carolina Panthers

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Kevin Patra of NFL.com ranked the eight reigning division champions from most to least vulnerable this upcoming season. He predicts that only the AFC North’s Pittsburgh Steelers are riper for the taking than Dave Canales’s squad.

“Anytime a sub-.500 club wins its division, it’s ripe to get picked off,” explained Patra. “The Panthers have taken strides under Dave Canales, with Bryce Young’s development at the forefront. But the offense will still need to make another leap to hold on to the division crown."

"Even with the additions of Jaelan Phillips, Devin Lloyd and second-round defensive tackle Lee Hunter," added Patra, "there are still holes, particularly with the depth of Ejiro Evero’s defense. Toss in a first-place schedule, and Carolina’s route to repeating appears even tougher.”

Inconsistency was the calling card for the 2025 Panthers

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Despite winning seven of their final 13 regular-season games following a 1-3 start, the Panthers were wildly inconsistent in 2025. From Weeks 7-17, Canales’s club alternated wins and losses in a 10-game span.

As far as their three divisional rivals, the Buccaneers reached the playoffs five consecutive years from 2020-24 before falling short this past season. After dropping eight of their first 13 contests, the Falcons—now under the command of new head coach Kevin Stefanski—closed out ’25 with a four-game winning streak.

Panthers’ biggest challenge this season could come from the Big Easy

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Perhaps the most intriguing team in the NFC South are the Saints. After getting off to a 1-8 start under first-time NFL sideline leader Kellen Moore, the club forged a 5-3 record the second half of the season. The team made some solid additions in free agency in guard David Edwards (Bills) and running back Travis Etienne (Jaguars). And after three seasons in Atlanta, linebacker Kaden Elliss is back in the Crescent City,

Each of the four teams in the NFC South finished with an identical 3-3 divisional record this past season, and the last-place Saints actually swept the first-place Panthers. It will be interesting to see if the defending champions, who also made their share of quality offseason addition, can build of its first playoff appearance since 2015.

It certainly appears that it won’t be easy.