The 2025 season ultimately represented progress for the Carolina Panthers, even if the ending left a sour taste. After years of frustration and rebuilding, the franchise finally took tangible steps forward, reestablishing itself as a playoff-caliber team and reclaiming a spot atop the division.
For the first time since 2017, the Panthers reached the postseason, and they captured their first division crown since 2015. That success, however, was tempered by a narrow 34–31 loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round on Saturday night. Despite the early exit, the season still marked a meaningful shift for a team that had struggled to find stability for much of the past decade.
Under first-year head coach Dave Canales, Carolina finished with an 8–9 record. While that mark extended the franchise’s losing streak to eight straight seasons, it also represented a clear improvement. The Panthers won only seven total games across the previous two years combined, and their competitiveness throughout 2025 showed signs of a roster moving in the right direction. Even so, the overall record underscored that significant work remains if the team hopes to become a consistent contender.
Looking ahead to 2026, Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Pizutta released an offseason preview for Carolina that included insight from fantasy analyst Matt Harmon. Harmon pointed to the offensive line as a critical area of focus for general manager Dan Morgan, particularly after a season filled with shuffling and instability up front, capped by the loss of a key contributor late in the year.
“Bryce Young will be the starting QB on this team,” explained Harmon, “and building an ecosystem around him to elevate his play while he hopefully improves as a pre- and post-snap processor is a must. All eyes should turn to the offensive line in this regard this offseason.”
Harmon also emphasized the seriousness of the injury to Carolina’s blindside protector. “Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoff loss to the Rams,” added Harmon, “which makes him a long shot to be ready early this coming season. Fortifying the offensive line will be key for emerging skill position players like Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Chuba Hubbard, with Rico Dowdle likely moving on.”
Those concerns are backed up by the numbers. The Panthers finished 20th in Pro Football Focus’ final offensive line rankings for 2025, a notable drop from the previous season, when only seven units graded higher league-wide. Importantly, that evaluation came before Ekwonu’s injury, highlighting just how urgent the need is for Carolina to reinforce the trenches as it builds on its hard-earned progress.