The Carolina Panthers have cleaned out their lockers and said goodbyes heading into the 2025 offseason. For some, this will be the end of the road while others will get the chance to help this exciting project long term.
General manager Dan Morgan will improve the roster as he sees fit throughout the offseason. The Panthers have a decent amount of salary-cap space that could increase further with restructures, releases ahead of time, and contract extensions. Carolina also has nine draft selections to utilize in pursuit of solidifying depth or finding instant difference-makers.
Perhaps more important than anything else is the presence of calm and stability. The Panthers are not looking for a new head coach. They are not looking for a new general manager. They are not desperately seeking a franchise quarterback. It's been a long time since this perennial underachiever could say that.
Everyone from the media to those around the league is starting to look at the Panthers differently. If the right reinforcements arrive throughout the spring and this team continues to develop under the guidance of Canales' coaching staff, they'll be a dark horse wildcard candidate and trendy pick to win the NFC South in 2025.
There's a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead before then. However, the Panthers know who they'll be up against when competitive action begins next time around.
Let's take a look at Carolina's opposition during the 2025 regular season.
Full list of Carolina Panthers' regular-season opponents in 2025
Home Games | Road Games |
|---|---|
Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons |
New Orleans Saints | New Orleans Saints |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Los Angeles Rams | Arizona Cardinals |
Buffalo Bills | San Francisco 49ers |
Miami Dolphins | New York Jets |
Seattle Seahawks | New England Patriots |
Dallas Cowboys | Green Bay Packers |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
It won't be easy. There are some heavyweight clashes on the agenda versus teams that will harbor hopes of winning the Super Bowl. At the same time, there is nothing for the Panthers to fear if they recruit well in the coming months.
Canales seemed confident enough in the way his side had progressed. There was the odd blowout over the second half of the season, but the Panthers achieved some notable wins and were competitive against leading contenders. There was also maximum commitment right until the final whistle, which speaks volumes about the culture being built within the locker room.
Starting positively is crucial. The Panthers have given themselves too much to do in recent years through sluggish openings that left them facing an uphill battle. Getting the positivity back into Bank of America Stadium is also going to help enormously.
Carolina's long-suffering fanbase hasn't had much to cheer since David Tepper bought the franchise for a then-record $2.275 billion. However, there is more optimism than ever despite winning just five games in 2024. Capitalizing on it can ignite the entire organization back to life.
The Panthers know their opposition. But there's a good chance this roster looks entirely different before their 2025 regular-season opener rolls around.
Buckle up.