Carolina Panthers Schedule 2023: Game-by-game predictions for upcoming season
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers vs. Colts - Week 9
It's not just players that have revenge games during the campaign. Frank Reich comes up against the team that fired him last season, which will obviously mean more to the respected figure even if he won't publicly declare it beforehand.
This will see another rookie quarterback clash between Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson - the biggest feast-or-famine prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. Even though he's a little raw, the Panthers must treat him with the greatest respect thanks to the player's electrifying athletic traits and a supreme dual-threat presence under center.
Prediction: Win (5-3)
Shane Steichen's arrival to the Indianapolis Colts is the second time they've gone with a bright offensive mind from Philadelphia. Carolina's players should be doing everything possible to ensure Reich gets bragging rights, which is entirely possible at home.
Carolina Panthers at Bears - Week 10 (TNF)
Once the Carolina Panthers struck a bombshell deal with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall selection, fans of both teams began heated debates on social media about which team was better off. Something that didn't go unnoticed by the schedule-makers, who picked their 2023 encounter for primetime on Thursday Night Football.
This will be classed as the D.J. Moore revenge game, and rightfully so. However, it's also a chance for D'Onta Foreman to prove Carolina was foolish in letting him go and quarterback Justin Fields gets to put one over on the team that passed him up at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Prediction: Loss (5-4)
Soldier Field is an inhospitable environment for any opposing team and the Bears could be among the league's biggest improvers next season. If the Panthers aren't up for such a physical challenge - which seems unlikely - then this will be a long evening in the national spotlight.