Panthers are building in a very Seattle way

Make no mistake, the Panthers still have work to do to reach the level Seattle’s at now. The Seahawks didn’t get there overnight either.

But the building was patient, and required stability first before you can make those impactful additions late (like trading for defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV, and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, and signing free agents like Darnold, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence). And when it comes to game-planning, you have to be able to function in multiple ways, because there will be times when your preferred method isn’t available.

The good news for the Panthers as they plot their moves for 2026 and beyond is that Morgan and Canales are working from a blueprint that is very familiar.

With enough time and the correct decisions, they could conceivably get there.

But the important part is that Morgan and Canales are operating from a similar platform, and are willing to take the time to build this right.

The Seahawks are at a different place than the Panthers, as well as the rest of the league.

But the thing the Panthers are trying to do is built in the same way.