5 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of 2024 offseason

Carolina Panthers moving in the right direction

What needs to happen next season for it to be considered a step in the right direction? - Jack Lee

As an optimist, I tend to look at the big picture and think of the positive outcomes that could occur for the Carolina Panthers. I have thought about what the step in the right direction could be.

So, here it is.

First, David Tepper backs away from being a micro-manager. His hiring of a search firm that is casting a wide net of candidates shows he is not narrowed down to only one or two specific people. Hiring a football operations person to be a buffer between ownership and roster management would be a nice step forward heading into the season.

Second, Bryce Young takes the next step. Expectations for him next season should be that with sufficient or average talent, he can be a high-end game-manager in his sophomore campaign with flashes of being a game-changer at quarterback. Adding long-term pieces that can help with his development is key along with the head coach hiring.

Third, if Carolina can retain defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Brian Burns, and linebacker Frankie Luvu, this could be at least a seven to eight-win football team in 2024. If all seems to go smoothly this offseason, those should be the expectations overall.

At 7-10 or 8-9, a team on the upswing heading into 2025 would be an encouraging sign to me that Tepper’s lowly franchise is finally heading in the right direction.