The Carolina Panthers started over in 2024, installing a new General Manager in franchise legend Dan Morgan and a new head coach in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales. Those two inherited a two-win team from 2023 that had already traded away what proved to be the first-overall pick in the draft the year prior to move up for quarterback Bryce Young. Morgan and Canales oversaw a modest improvement to 5-12 and won four of its last nine, a mild upsurge coinciding with markedly improved play from Young.
After an early-season benching, Young got his job back at midseason after Andy Dalton was injured in a car accident, and he proceeded to up his overall passer rating to 82.2, with a TD-INT ratio of 15-9. The Panthers balanced that with a decent rushing attack led by breakout back Chuba Hubbard, who was running behind a line that had been bolstered by several big-dollar contracts in free agency. Unfortunately, the Carolina defense – which lost Brian Burns in an offseason trade and Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson to early-season injuries – completely cratered, to the tune of the most points allowed and second-most yards allowed in a single season in NFL history (the 17th game didn't help).
The Panthers finished third in the NFC South with a tiebreaker edge over New Orleans, but it was their seventh straight losing season. With the development of Young, Canales' infectious energy and sharp offensive mind and some necessary additions on defense in free agency, this is a team that surely believes it is on an upward trajectory and is ready to compete for the division title in 2025.
Whether or not the Panthers are ready to make that leap in 2025 remains to be seen. For now, we can keep an eye on what is going on in Charlotte, as well as in fellow NFC South outposts throughout the offseason. We will do that with our "NFC South Check-Ins." Look for one each month, after which they will continue to be updated as news lands for all three teams. Here we'll take our first look at the 2025 Panthers.
2025 Carolina Panthers
News/Developments Since End of 2024 Season:
The Panthers brought in some key new figures in the player health and performance area early in the offseason. They added Denny Kellington from the Bills' staff as their new vice president of health and performance and nabbed former Vikings strength coach Josh Hingst as their new director of performance. There were also some minor changes on Canales' coaching staff, including the additions of AC Carter (outside linebackers), Keyshawn Colman (offensive assistant) and Kevin Peterson (defensive assistant).
Before the start of free agency, the Panthers managed to re-sign a handful of their own potential free agents, most notably giving a four-year $100 million contract to Jaycee Horn, a very talented cornerback who has had trouble with injuries throughout his career but did play in 15 games last year. Others signed to extensions or new deals included center Austin Corbett, guard Brady Christensen, tight end Tommy Tremble, cornerback Michael Jackson, wide receiver David Moore, safety Nick Scott and running back Raheem Blackshear.
Notably, Morgan notified linebacker Shaq Thompson, who spent the past 10 seasons in Charlotte, that he would not be re-signed. Thompson started 112 games for the Panthers but was limited by injuries to just six appearances over the past two years.
Free Agency:
As noted above, Morgan and company went heavy on defense in the early hours of free agency, bolstering all three levels with veteran additions. Though the Panthers reportedly just lost out on Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams to a higher bid from the Patriots, they quickly pivoted to address the position with former Ram Bobby Brown and former Chief Tershawn Wharton, both of whom got three year deals.
The largest contract for an outside free agent doled out by the Panthers went to former Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig, who got three years and $51 million. A former first-round pick in 2021, Moehrig was a versatile and impactful player in the Las Vegas secondary for four years, raking up 297 tackles, six interceptions, 3.0 sacks and 29 passes defensed.
Carolina also landed former Ram Christian Rozeboom and former Viking Patrick Jones to add depth at the off-ball and outside linebacker spots, respectively. Jones tallied 7.0 sacks in Minnesota last year and the Panthers need help off the edge after recording the fourth-lowest defensive sack rate in the NFL in 2024.
The Panthers did make one notable addition on offense, swiping running back Rico Dowdle off the Cowboys' roster. Dowdle came on strong down the stretch last year and managed to crack the 1,000-yard rushing mark while averaging 4.6 yards per tote. Canales envisions Hubbard and Dowdle sharing the backfield load and being a very productive 1-2 punch.
The Panthers also signed a new punter, replacing Johnny Hekker with former Bill Sam Martin.
2025 NFL Draft:
With the NFL's bottom-heavy standings in 2024, a 5-12 record was only good enough for the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft, with the Panthers sandwiched between the Jets and Saints. Carolina's own second-round pick this year, number 39 overall, was also part of that trade up for Bryce Young in 2023 but the Panthers will still pick in the round as they got the Rams' selection (#57) during a trade down in last year's draft.
Overall, Carolina goes into the draft armed with eight picks, including three in the fifth round and three of the top 74. Their overall draft capital ranks 11th in the NFL.
The majority of mock drafts have the Panthers still eyeing help for their defense with the eighth overall pick, most likely with an edge rusher or a cornerback. While Penn State's Abdul Carter is the consensus top edge rusher in the draft and almost surely a top-four pick, the order in which a deep but muddled group of players in the next tier will go has been hard to pinpoint. Carolina's number-eight pick could set the tone for how that position will fall out in the first round.
The Panthers could go for one of the drafts extremely athletic edge rushers, like Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart or Georgia's Mykel Williams, or they could go with production and take Marshall's Mike Green, who led the nation last year with 17.5 sacks. They could also land on Georgia's Jalon Walker, who might be an edge rusher, an off-ball linebacker or some combination of the two.
If the Panthers decide to go after a cornerback in the first round, they'll likely have their pick of anybody except Colorado's Travis Hunter. That would likely mean Michigan's Will Johnson or Texas's Jahdae Barron. It's also not out of the question that the Panthers would give Young some more pass-catching help with the likes of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
