The Carolina Panthers are done being kicked around.
It's been a rapid decline to rock bottom for this once-proud organization under David Tepper's ownership. The memorable 15-1 run to the Super Bowl in 2015 is a distant memory. What followed wasn't in the script, but there are signs things are finally on the right track after years of decay.
Dan Morgan, Brandt Tilis, and Dave Canales have steadied the ship and changed the culture. The Panthers made encouraging progress over the second half of 2024, and the additions made throughout a busy offseason leave hopes high that more progress can arrive next time around.
And there is a newfound mentality within the squad that leaves reasons for optimism.
Carolina Panthers are looking to get back to the team's glory days
Adam Thielen delved deeper into the ethos established by the relatively new regime. The Pro Bowl wide receiver boldly declared that the Panthers aren't going to accept mediocrity (or much worse) anymore. They want to get Carolina back to the glory days and adopt the same values. And they'll stop at nothing to achieve this objective.
"Guys are finally sick of being the same ole, same ole Carolina Panthers. I think we want to get back to what they did here in the past — 2015 and some of those other years when they had the deep playoff runs, had the crowd involved and had the city hyped up. We haven't had that, and I think that guys are just kind of sick and tired of the same old, same old. And everything that this organization has done this offseason has pushed us towards that. I'm excited about that."Adam Thielen via Carolina Blitz
Adam Thielen: guys are sick of the same ole same ole. pic.twitter.com/HEi4LkXKmc
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) June 10, 2025
This should be music to the ears of every fan. The Panthers have been a doormat for way too long. The team's passionate support became disillusioned and left in droves. The core beliefs that made the franchise great once upon a time got lost along the way.
Now, they're back.
Thielen's been around the game a long time. This could be his last season before retirement. For him to notice this difference is noteworthy. And hopefully, it will transition to a competitive setting when the time comes.
This was the stall set out by Morgan upon taking the general manager job last year. He wanted the Panthers logo to be feared around the league again. He wanted opposing teams to know they were in for a real fight whenever they made their way into Bank of America Stadium. He wanted to restore pride in the fan base and community — to make Carolina the heartbeat of the region once again.
There's a long way to go before the Panthers achieve these objectives. But they're going to give it everything in pursuit of turning the tide.
Win, lose, or tie, teams will learn to respect the Panthers again. After that, anything is possible.