The Carolina Panthers have already exceeded their expected win total for 2025 with four games remaining. They've been one of, if not the NFL's most surprising success stories this season, punctuated by yet another massive upset victory.
Those who aren't sold on this rendition of the Panthers might want to reconsider following the team's impressive 31-28 defeat of the Los Angeles Rams. No one gave Carolina much of a chance against the current Super Bowl LX favorites, but they found a way to prevail.
It's not always pretty with the Panthers, though they're bought in to head coach Dave Canales and striving toward something special. Aesthetically pleasing or not, the hard work and commitment are paying dividends as the franchise eyes its first playoff berth since 2017. Those watching from afar can feel it, and so can Carolina's standout left tackle, Ikem Ekwonu.
Ekwonu spoke on the palpable energy shift happening in Carolina after snapping a white-hot Rams squad's six-game winning streak. The 2022 first-round pick understands the job is far from done, but he took a moment to acknowledge how far the Panthers have come.
Ikem Ekwonu appreciates Panthers' surprising turnaround after colossal win vs. Rams
As someone who's in his fourth campaign with the Panthers, Ekwonu has been a part of some truly abysmal football clubs. He doesn't reflect on their past struggles fondly, and understandably so. Nevertheless, moments like this make him appreciate the journey and take pride in the direction Carolina is heading.
""I mean, that's the goal, we said this year we wanted to change the narrative. We wanted to write our own story, and I feel like, week in and week out, we've been doing that. So I mean, it's definitely good having those conversations about the postseason. It feels good. I said it earlier, but these are the conversations we want to be having. Too many times, you know, I don't like to speak about the past too much. Too many times around this time, talking about draft picks or talking about ruining someone's season, and that's not the conversation I want to be in this year, and I want to be in those spots for the postseason.""Ikem Ekwonu via Panthers.com
Excluding nearly sneaking into Wild Card Weekend with a losing record during his rookie year, Ekwonu hasn't tasted genuine prosperity in Carolina. This marks the first time that the Panthers are competing at a high level with him in the fold, and he's soaking it all in.
A playoff appearance is well within reach for Ekwonu and the Panthers. Moreover, they could find themselves hosting a win-or-go-home contest depending on the results of their two upcoming head-to-head matchups with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.