A home wild-card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams brings opportunity but also pressure. For several Carolina Panthers, this postseason isn’t just about advancing. It’s about their future.
For these players, this game against the Rams is about far more than surviving one more week. It’s about proving they belong at the heart of the Panthers’ long-term plans when the lights are brightest.
Here are three Panthers players with everything at stake in the playoffs.
Carolina Panthers players whose futures may be decided in the playoffs
Bryce Young - QB
Late-game situations have become Bryce Young’s calling card, and the numbers back it up. He has 12 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, the most in the NFL since he entered the league.
Still, the playoffs raise the stakes. If Young delivers on this stage, it further cements him as the franchise quarterback Carolina believed it drafted No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. But if he falters, the narrative around his ceiling and consistency will only grow louder.
Rico Dowdle - RB
For much of the season, Rico Dowdle was a major reason the Panthers even reached the postseason. That feels like a long time ago.
Since his 130-yard breakout against the Green Bay Packers and the run-heavy win over the Rams, the Panthers’ ground game has fallen off a cliff. Dowdle has failed to top 60 rushing yards in eight straight games, and his Week 18 performance was especially alarming, mustering just seven carries, 10 rushing yards, and a costly fumble.
Carolina wants to be a balanced offense. Asking Young to carry everything against a playoff defense without help on the ground is a recipe for disaster.
Dowdle doesn’t have to be spectacular. He has to be reliable, physical, and efficient, especially on first down. This postseason may define whether he’s part of the fabric beyond 2025 or just a small chapter of their turnaround.
Xavier Legette - WR
A first-round pick brought in to be a weapon for Young, Xavier Legette has instead been pushed down the depth chart. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker have outplayed him. He has struggled with drops, route precision, awareness, and costly mistakes at the worst possible moments.
Those issues haven’t gone unnoticed. His snap count has steadily declined, bottoming out recently at the lowest percentage of his NFL career.
And yet, the opportunity remains. If Legette can become a legitimate threat — even as a complementary piece — in the playoffs, it changes the entire offense.
Three dependable pass catchers would open the field for Young and make defending Carolina far more difficult. This playoff run may be Legette’s last chance to reassert himself before the Panthers seriously explore upgrades.