The Carolina Panthers haven't had a winning season since 2017. Dave Canales doesn't care. He issued a warning that starts with the New Orleans Saints and NFC South but extends to the rest of the NFL should take note of. Canales declared, "This is going to be a competitive team, and people aren't going to want to play us."
Carolina being a team that strikes fear in team's hearts would be a huge switch from recent history. The Panthers have been the doormat of the NFL over the last 7 seasons, sharing a league worst 36-80 record with the New York Jets over that span.
The Saints have fared nicely against the Panthers over that span, with a 9-5 record. The two squads split the season series and finished with a tie for the worst record in the NFC at 5-12. The difference between the Saints and the Panthers is some anticipate that the Panthers will remove themselves from the bottom of the conference this season.
Panthers look to build momentum off of their 2024 mid season resurgence
After a 1-7 start to the 2024 season, it certainly looked like the Panthers would be selecting number 1 in the draft for the 2nd time in 3 years, until the squad hit an impressive mid season turnaround, winning 4 out of their final 9 games.
Several players showed signs of improvement, including quarterback Bryce Young who returned to the starting lineup after being benched for Andy Dalton in week 3. Although their turnaround was modest, these performances provided a foundation for optimism going into 2025.
The Panthers are looking to take the next step in the right direction in 2025. They believe that they have done so with key additions in free agency and the draft. They bolstered their defense with free agent aquisitions, Treyshawn Wharton, Tre'Von Morehig, and Bobby Brown. They also added Tetairoa McMillan and Mitchell Evans as receiving weapons for their young quarterback.
This Panthers roster carries a healthy dose of young talent and veterans,. They are coming into the 2025 campaign with a mindset of toughness, swagger, and confidence, which is why many analysts believe that they could be dangerous this season. The Panthers have the potential to breakout in 2025. This could make out to be a squad that the entire NFC South could have a lot of difficulty with, not only this year, but for many years to come.
