The Carolina Panthers enter the final month of the 2025 season firmly in the playoff hunt. And things got even better during their bye week.
Dave Canales’ team sits at 7-6, level with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they lost to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers have two head-to-head matchups against former Carolina quarterback Baker Mayfield ahead that could swing the NFC South race in either direction.
But while the flashes have been real, so have the growing pains. And with four games left, Carolina’s young core is staring down the defining stretch of their early careers. And to finish the job, the Panthers must answer three massive questions…
Issues that could derail the Carolina Panthers as the heat turns suffocating post bye
Is Bryce Young finally turning the corner?
For all the hope he generated at the end of last season, Bryce Young hasn’t carried that momentum into Year 3. He finished with under 200 passing yards in nine of his first 11 starts. But last week against the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback threw three touchdowns with a career-high 147.1 passer rating.
The question now is simple… Can Young continue to play like that?
If Young can be that version of himself, the Panthers immediately become a legitimate playoff threat. If he regresses, everything else on this offense becomes limited.
Can anyone step up on the pass rush?
If there’s one thing that could ruin Carolina’s playoff push, this is it.
Last season, the Panthers finished with just 32 sacks, the third-fewest in the NFL. Now entering Week 14, they only have 18 sacks, ranking 31st in the league.
Derrick Brown leads the team with four sacks, and behind him, rookie Nic Scourton with three, and A’Shawn Robinson with two and a half. For a team trying to make the playoffs, that’s borderline unthinkable. If the Panthers want to be a playoff team, those flashes need to turn into consistent play.
Does this team have what it takes to make the playoffs?
The most challenging question, but also the most important. The Panthers have spent the past two years rebuilding around a young core, knowing the bumps would come. But now comes the part where growth has to turn into results.
The Panthers don’t need to be flawless, but they do need to be consistent. They need fewer rollercoasters from Young. They need the pass rush to step up. Consistency is crucial with the stakes higher than ever.
Everything the Panthers have been building toward meets them on the other side of the bye. They must deliver.