The Carolina Panthers posted their eighth consecutive losing season in 2025. But at 8-9 in the regular season, Carolina had more victories than it had in the previous two years combined, and, because of the weakness and balance of the NFC South, managed to reach the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The Panthers’ season ended on Saturday with a Wild-Card Weekend loss, but Carolina came within seconds of advancing before succumbing to the Los Angeles Rams 34-31.

“It’s definitely fuel for us,” Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said on Sunday. “We know we we’re right there. We know what it feels like, but we know we’re not entitled to anything next year. Again, it’s just fuel for us. We have to make sure that that’s the standard moving forward, making sure that we’re only building and taking positive steps from there. That’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication through the offseason. But the special thing about this group is we all look forward to that work, so I’m excited for it. …

“We know what we’re capable of. We know what we can be. And we know it’s just going to be about the work. Coach says that all the time. Everyone will, you know, get their mind away from it now. But starting in Phase 1 when we all come back in the offseason and training, we have to make sure that that’s motivation. We have to make sure that that’s pushing us to not just try to be back and think that it’s entitled. We have to go and be better, go continue to build, continue to grow. I’m excited for this group to do that.”

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Against the Rams, Young completed 21-of-40 passes for 264 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran three times for 24 yards and one touchdown.

In 16 regular-season games, Young completed 304-of-478 passes for 3,011 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. All those numbers were career highs for the former Alabama All-American.

After joining Carolina as the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Young had a passing-efficiency rating of 73.7 as a rookie. Last season, that rating rose to 82.2. This season, it improved again to 87.8. But that remains below the 2025 league average of 91.4.

“I feel like I’m growing,” Young said. “I feel like we’re all growing as a team, as organization. I’m grateful for that. I’m excited for that. And now it’s continuing to go in that right direction and for us to reach our goals as a team.”

Dave Canales has served as Carolina’s head coach and offensive play-caller for the past two seasons after coming over from his post as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. In Young’s first NFL season, the Panthers offense gained the fewest yards of the 32 teams in the NFL. Carolina got up to 29th in yards gained in 2024 and moved to 27th in 2025.

Young said he and the coaching staff will talk in the offseason about how the offense can continue to grow.

“We have those conversations,” Young said, “and I’m grateful to play for a staff that wants to have those conversations, wants to be collaborative. We’re talking all the time. We’re always growing our relationship, and, again, they appreciate when I voice my opinion. I talk about things in the offseason. Of course, you know, they’re going to go back. We’re going to do a ton of self-scout. They’re going to come in with ideas. I’m going to come in with mine. We’re all going to come in and work collaboratively.

“And, you know, it’s been like that. I’m grateful to be able to be in a position where we all want to just be at our best. We all want to win. That’s what it boils down to. We don’t have ego about it. We all want to hear each other out and push each other to be the best. We’re excited for that process.”

Young has improved consistency on his checklist for 2026. The quarterback had a passing-efficiency rating as high as 147.1 in a 31-28 regular-season victory over the Rams on Nov. 30 and as low as 45.8 in a 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 28. He had 448 passing yards and three TD passes in a 30-27 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 16 and 54 yards on 24 passes in the loss to Seattle.

The Arizona Cardinals got one of their three victories and the New Orleans Saints got two of their six by beating Carolina this season. But the Panthers also defeated playoff teams Los Angeles and the Green Bay Packers.

“I think that that’s always high,” Young said. “That’s something that I really believe in in life outside of football, and, of course, it carries over. Being consistent on the field, off the field, being consistent as a leader. And then, obviously, for us execution-wise, consistency is always key in this league, so being able to maximize that as much as possible is critical.”