The Carolina Panthers won five games in 2024. However, there is a lot more optimism around the franchise than most teams languishing in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Dave Canales had a big job on his hands. The head coach wanted to change the culture and instill good habits into the playing personnel. It wasn't easy and there were some rough waters to navigate initially, but the improvements made over the second half of 2024 left hope this perennial bottom-feeder was on the right path.
Canales is confident this is the start of something special in Carolina. There is a lot of hard work ahead to achieve this objective. Dan Morgan must recruit well this offseason. After that, it's down to the coaching staff.
NFL insider believes the Carolina Panthers can progress in 2025
NFL insider Mike Jones from The Athletic provided a bullish outlook on Carolina's future, placing the organization at No. 8 in his list of teams that didn't make the postseason. He believes quarterback Bryce Young's recent renaissance and the correct defensive improvements could be enough for additional growth to surface.
"Bryce Young answered a pressing question with the way he finished the 2024 season, winning two of the final three games. Another offseason with Dave Canales should position the 2023 No. 1 pick for continued growth in 2025. With quarterback questions resolved, the Panthers can turn their attention to getting the help they badly need at edge rusher, defensive line and defensive back."Mike Jones
Jones is right.
The Panthers have stability at long last. They have a progressive head coach and general manager working in alignment with one common vision in mind. They also have a quarterback in Young who has the tools needed to be impactful once his supporting cast improves.
This is far from a done deal. The Panthers' defense was historically terrible in 2024 after Morgan freely admitted he didn't do enough to help coordinator Ejiro Evero. Expect that to change throughout the offseason, which is only going to help Carolina's cause.
If the Panthers can maximize every resource at their disposal in the coming months, they'll be a team to watch in 2025. The NFC South isn't particularly strong, so there's just no telling what this group could accomplish with another offseason to develop. It won't be easy, but things look brighter now than at any stage during David Tepper's ownership to date.
Fans are expectant. They saw the progress from Young when he returned to the starting lineup. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft looked confident and poised, going toe-to-toe with some of the league's heavyweights with great success. If the Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama builds on this newfound momentum, the sky's the limit.
The Panthers removed the laughingstock tag and started to earn back respect around the league in Year 1 under Canales. That was the first objective. Kicking on and entering the playoff picture is the next challenge awaiting Carolina.
After wasting the first two years of Young's rookie contract, the Panthers need to accomplish this mission sooner rather than later.