It's been a long time since the Carolina Panthers were relevant. It's been a long time since there was legitimate hope for the future. Slowly but surely, the tide is turning.
Dan Morgan and Dave Canales' aligned vision for the future represented a breath of fresh air. There is a long-term plan in place and strategic moves being implemented with the team's best interests at heart. The Panthers are nowhere near the finished article yet, but one NFL analyst believes they could be on the cusp of turning things around in 2025.
Carolina Panthers named among potential turnaround teams in 2025 by NFL analyst
Zoltán Buday from Pro Football Focus named the Panthers among four teams who could be poised for a turnaround in 2025. The analyst highlighted the improvements made last time around and some intriguing draft picks as reasons behind the team's newfound optimism in Year 2 under Canales' guidance.
"Following a disastrous start to the campaign, they went toe to toe with the eventual AFC and NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. That surprising late-season surge on offense did not stop Carolina from selecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Arizona player averaged 2.37 receiving yards per route run during the 2024 season, which ranked 14th among 132 qualifying Power Four wide receivers. Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft was more about defense for Carolina, which selected edge defenders Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen."Zoltán Buday
This sets the stage for Carolina to be more competitive. Canales is confident that raised expectations can be met. Just how much longer it'll take remains to be seen, but the pieces are slowly coming together.
There is stability. There is cohesion. There are young players capable of developing. There is more balance across the roster. There is also a potential franchise quarterback in Bryce Young after his sensational renaissance over the second half of 2024.
Nobody is expecting the Panthers to surge into Super Bowl contention. But if everything goes well and they get a better run of good luck on the health front, achieving a winning record for the first time under David Tepper's ownership becomes a realistic objective.
That would be another strong indicator of Morgan's ambitious strategy positively coming to life. And looking at the current state of the NFC South, it could even put the Panthers in division title contention along the way.
Time will tell, but the hype is building around the Panthers for the first time in years.