6 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking after wild offseason
Offseason training activities for the Carolina Panthers are underway. There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks of practice, including the eagerly-anticipated mandatory minicamp next month.
The 2024 NFL Draft and regular season schedule in which the Panthers have no primetime games on tap are in the rearview mirror. As head coach Dave Canales said, the team must earn the right to those types of games following a league-worst 2-15 campaign.
With just over two months left until the start of training camp in Charlotte, fans have grown curious about the team’s offensive scheme with a young head coach. Plans for embattled left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who is making the roster at wide receiver, whether there will be an improvement in the win-loss total, and quarterback Bryce Young’s play are all hot topics of discussion right now.
This is a perfect time to put out a brand-new mailbag, the first of the 2024 league year. You, the fans, had some burning questions that needed to be answered now that Carolina is in the thick of the offseason programs. Without further ado, let's get to it.
Some questions have been slightly edited for clarity.
Carolina Panthers 2024 schedule
- How are you liking or disliking the Panthers 2024 schedule? - Ed H.
As previously mentioned, the Carolina Panthers will have no primetime games in 2024, unless you consider their trip across the pond to Munich, Germany, which is a stand-alone contest. While to some fans it will be disappointing, it’s for the better and they must earn the right to be in front of the national TV spotlight.
The team’s bye week is slated perfectly in the middle of the season due to the overseas trip. The first 10 games offer a chance for the Panthers to show improvement on offense while easing their transition to start the season. However, games No. 4 to No. 6 could provide a test should this trio prove to be potential playoff contenders.
There are plenty of challenges after the bye week. Carolina faces four teams in a row that were playoff-bound in 2023. This will be a great test for the team should they show marketed improvement in hopes of being a playoff contender. Overall, it’s hard not to like this schedule for Carolina, especially with it being one of the league's easiest.
It’s easy to get quite optimistic about the Panthers heading into the year, especially if coach Dave Canales has grown on you. However, as previously stated, this is a franchise coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history having lost two of its three cornerstones on the defensive front seven.
While they have improved on paper, Carolina must prove it on the field.