4 winners and 4 losers from the Carolina Panthers 2021 season

The Carolina Panthers 2021 season is officially in the books. Here is a look at the most notable winners and losers from 2021.

For the fourth-straight season, the Carolina Panthers finished the year with a losing record, with the extra 17th game giving them the most losses they’ve had in a single season since 2010.

After a year that had some excitement following a 3-0 start, the Panthers went on to lose 12 of their final 14 contests to finish 2021 with a 5-12 record.

The season was such a rollercoaster that offensive coordinator Joe Brady lost his job, Sam Darnold was benched, got injured, then Cam Newton returned and was benched as the former USC star finished the campaign under center.

Calls for head coach Matt Rhule to be fired surrounded the team all year. While he is likely to return for a third season, there is not much to look forward to this offseason with the team in quarterback purgatory.

Defensively, the Panthers showed tons of potential. For a few weeks, Carolina had the best unit in the league, but they hit the wall and struggled during the second half of the season.

There were splashy trades for former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore and young C.J. Henderson. But ultimately, none of it made a difference.

Without further ado, here are four winners and four losers from a disappointing 2021 campaign in Carolina.