A lot went right for the Carolina Panthers last season, who still only managed to finish 8-9. They stumbled into a home playoff game and were subsequently placed on fraud watch — or never really got off it.
Evidently, Carolina has more work to do to turn doubters into believers. Oddsmakers and NFL analysts/pundits alike aren't sold on their improvement, including FanSided's Wynston Wilcox, but why?
Wilcox tabbed the Panthers as one of five teams that made the postseason this past year that will miss the cut in the upcoming campaign. However, we're here to tell you not to count out a franchise that appears to be moving onward and upward.
The Carolina Panthers could prove skeptics wrong again
The Panthers' "miraculous turnaround," as Wilcox described it, was buoyed by the quality of their competition (or lack thereof). He argued that the club was fortunate to play in a weak NFC South that saw a losing record be good for a three-way first-place tie. Yet, the circumstances haven't changed much, if at all.
Would anyone be shocked if Carolina fell ass-backward into another division title? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be losing the grip they've had on the rest of the bunch this decade. Meanwhile, the current iterations of the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are fun, if not unproven, as Wilcox touched on.
While Wilcox believes things "won't fall in their favor" as much in 2026, Carolina has made meaningful offseason moves on both sides of the ball. A revamped roster should help counteract any regression in the luck department.
Carolina will have to overcome having the 10th-hardest strength of schedule. Albeit far from ideal, they've built a solid infrastructure that can withstand some tough matchups. Nevertheless, that just makes taking advantage of having six games against the Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints even more important.
For what it's worth, though, it's not far-fetched to envision a scenario where the Panthers don't get the chance to play past Week 18. After all, they didn't exactly impress on their way to a surprisingly thrilling 34-31 Wild Card Weekend loss to the Los Angeles Rams in 2025.
Be that as it may, Carolina's outlook ultimately hinges on quarterback Bryce Young's continued development, for better or worse. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has to keep showing growth, especially with the uncertainty surrounding his long-term future.
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