Analysts did not have the Carolina Panthers in the 2025-26 playoff picture before the season, but the Panthers won the NFC South and clinched a home playoff game for the first time since 2015.

 

Carolina competed in the wild-card round but saw its season end Jan. 10 with a 34-31 loss to NFL MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. A late field goal lifted the Rams to victory.

 

Defensive coverage lapses, an inconsistent running game and limited late-game adjustments contributed to the Panthers falling short.

 

The solutions may lie in free agency, the NFL Draft and the NFL Combine.

 

NFL draft and combine

 

The NFL Combine runs from Feb. 26 through March 1. The opening day features drills for defensive linemen.

 

Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales and General Manager Dan Morgan attended to evaluate prospects along the defensive front.

 

Carolina tied for No. 28 in sacks during the 2025-26 season with 30, reflecting the absence of a consistent edge presence. The need at outside linebacker has remained since the team traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants in 2024.

 

Team officials are also expected to evaluate offensive linemen. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu suffered a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs, and several linemen are set to enter free agency when the new league year begins.

 

Morgan addressed the need for depth along the offensive line.

 

“In terms of the impact in the draft, free agency, offensive line is a position that we are always going to be looking at, always trying to upgrade and have as much depth as possible there,” Morgan said. “So we are just going to attack that like we usually do.”

 

Providing protection for former No. 1 overall pick quarterback Bryce Young will likely remain a priority.

 

Screen Shot 2026-02-27 at 4.50.16 PM.png

Quarterback Bryce Young claps during a matchup last season.

Courtesy of Carolina Panthers

Carolina holds the No. 19 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. After the top tier of prospects is selected, options along the offensive line may become limited for teams drafting later in the first round.

 

While draft picks can address key needs, free agency may determine how aggressively the Panthers reshape the roster.

 

Free agency

 

The NFL set the 2026 salary cap at $301.2 million ahead of the new league year, which begins March 11. Carolina currently has approximately $10.2 million in available cap space.

 

Additional room could be created through roster moves. Releasing players such as quarterback Andy Dalton, tight end Tommy Tremble and edge rusher Patrick Thomas would generate nearly $25 million in savings.

 

The running back position also presents offseason decisions. Trevor Etienne joined the team as a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Jonathan Brooks remains on the roster after suffering a torn ACL in 2024.

 

Several established running backs, including Travis Etienne, are expected to become available. On the defensive side, edge rushers Khalil Mack and Trey Hendrickson headline the projected market.

 

Targeting running backs, offensive linemen and edge rushers appears central to Carolina’s offseason approach.

 

Personnel changes

 

Carolina’s Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero faced scrutiny throughout the season, particularly following the playoff loss in which soft zone coverage allowed the Rams to drive for the game-winning field goal.

 

Fans questioned the late-game defensive calls, though no official decision has been announced regarding the coordinator position.

 

One change has already been confirmed. Canales announced Feb. 24 that Offensive Coordinator Brad Idzik will assume play-calling duties moving forward.

 

“He is my primary architect for what we do offensively with the run game, the pass game and the connection of it,” Canales said in a press conference.

 

With less than two weeks remaining before free agency begins, the Panthers appear focused on addressing their roster needs as they prepare for the next phase of the offseason.