A year ago, the Carolina Panthers were chasing competence. Now, they are chasing consistency. After stumbling to a 5-12 finish in 2024 and fielding the worst scoring defense in NFL history, Carolina enters the 2025 season with higher expectations—ones no longer measured by moral victories.

The Panthers have retooled their roster, revamped the coaching staff and, most importantly, reignited belief in quarterback Bryce Young. They open the season with a mix of young talent, veteran presence and a clearer identity under second-year Head Coach Dave Canales. National projections remain cautious, but the foundation is in place for a meaningful step forward.

Young and armed

Young’s late-season surge changed the tone surrounding the franchise. After being benched in Week 3, the former No. 1 pick closed the year with 17 touchdowns, five interceptions and a newfound command of the offense. 

His poise and playmaking sparked optimism that Carolina may have finally found its long-term answer under center.

The front office responded with urgency. The Panthers used the No. 8 pick in the draft to select University of Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a 6’4″ target with a large catch radius and a knack for winning contested catches. 

McMillan gives Young a true ‘wide receiver one’ for the first time in his career and headlines a revamped receiving corps that now includes Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker and veteran Adam Thielen, whose leadership and reliability remain invaluable.

That group pairs with an offensive line that returns all five starters and a run game that ranked among the league’s most efficient in 2024. Running back Chuba Hubbard topped 1,100 yards behind a unit anchored by guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. 

The Panthers finished No. 7 in Pro Football Focus’s run-blocking grade despite dealing with multiple injuries across the line.

Can Carolina get stops

Defensively, the outlook is less certain. While the Panthers spent heavily in free agency and the draft to fix a unit that gave up 30.4 points per game last season, many of the solutions are unproven. 

Carolina added interior linemen Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton, who join the returning Derrick Brown to form a trio that will be tasked with stabilizing the front. Brown, a former Pro Bowler, missed most of 2024 due to injury but remains the defense’s most dominant presence.

On the edge, the Panthers are betting on volume. Veterans D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II return with starting experience, but both have injury and consistency concerns. Rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen bring raw talent and upside, but will need time to adjust. If the pass rush does not improve, Carolina’s defense could remain one of the league’s weakest.

Still, the secondary looks more capable with the addition of safety Tre’von Moehrig and the return of a healthy Jaycee Horn, who flashes elite potential. Carolina is banking on improved health and cohesion on the back end to stabilize a defense that collapsed last fall.

Panthers hope for swing factor 

Carolina enters the season with a deeper roster, a defense with upside and a coaching staff aligned in vision. But as a lot of people see, this year comes down to Young. His development will decide whether the Panthers make real progress or stay stuck in neutral.

Although he does not need to be elite right away, he does need to prove he belongs and eventually show he can be a quarterback who wins games. It is a tougher bar to clear—one reserved for only a dozen or so passers in any given season. 

If Young gets there, Carolina will not just be fun, but it will be a team in the playoff mix.