The Carolina Panthers are heading in the right direction. They won eight games last season, which was enough to win the NFC South and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. General manager Dan Morgan's aggressive moves throughout his third offseason only raised expectations among the fan base.
Hopes are high. It won't be easy, but there is a growing belief in the building that Carolina's return to respectability can become something more. And even though head coach Dave Canales' squad has a first-place schedule to contend with, most are expecting progress in some capacity.
Well, almost everybody.
NFL analyst offers outrageous Carolina Panthers prediction for 2026
Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation posted his annual offseason record projections soon after the NFL released its schedule. It was contentious for several reasons, but nothing drew more ire from fans and analysts than the Panthers finishing bottom of the NFC South with a 3-14 record.
🚨 Alright, here we go. My NFL Division Predictions 1.0.
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) May 15, 2026
Debate in the comments. pic.twitter.com/TqNY1K3v3L
Unbelievable.
The unified vilification around the Panthers' positioning in Bailey's standings typified how outrageous it was. The writer tried to run it back when the heat started building, but he stood firm on his take that Carolina will be looking for a new quarterback during the 2027 NFL Draft.
"All due respect to Jalen Coker, no DC is staring at his ceiling at night worrying how he’ll stop him. I also just don’t believe in Bryce Young as a franchise answer and they severely overpaid Jaelan Phillips. Love Canales and Evero. If you wanna say 3 wins is too low, I wouldn’t push back too hard. But I do think they’re drafting a new QB next April. Just don’t see a high ceiling here."
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The Panthers may end up winning three games, but that would be a disappointment bigger than arguably anything in recent memory. Even though enhancements have been made across the NFC South, there are still concerns about the rest, indicating Carolina will be right in the mix.
The Panthers haven't extended Bryce Young yet. They are reportedly going to wait it out, wanting to see if his encouraging growth over the last 18 months can be sustained enough to warrant such a lofty financial commitment. It's a balanced roster with dynamism and youth, all of whom are capable of developing together, which will help the signal-caller's case. Tipping them for just three wins — five less than the previous campaign — is nothing short of ludicrous in the circumstances.
Carolina is often disrespected and overlooked. Even amid the changing times and the upward trajectory every year under Canales and Morgan, that hasn't changed for some.
And it is no doubt even more fuel for their fire.
Add us as a preferred source on Google