Carolina’s Cap Comparison: Final Tally

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 10: Isaiah Simmons #27 of the Carolina Panthers blocks a punts by Ethan Evans #42 of the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Now that we have taken a look at just how much the Panthers have tied up in specific position groups over the next couple of seasons, what contracts could be terminated or extended, and what percentage of the cap each group takes up, let’s lay all the information out for a broader perspective on where the Panthers are spending their money in 2026. For this series, I used the numbers at Over the Cap.

Offense​

Position Group	Panthers Cap %	Panthers Rank	Top Cap %	Median Cap %	Bottom Cap %
Quarterbacks	5.2	23rd	17.9	11	1.62
Running Backs	3.24	15th	6.86	3.1	0.9
Wide Receivers	6	29th	19	10.25	2.27
Tight Ends	4.55	15th	8.8	4.5	1.55
Offensive Line	29.6	1st	29.6	17	8.42

Defense​

Position Group	Panthers Cap %	Panthers Rank	Top Cap %	Median Cap %	Bottom Cap %
Def. Line/Edge	5.11	32nd	28.6	14	5.11
Linebackers	2.25	27th	10.86	4.6	0.47
Safeties	8.2	5th	13.69	3.5	0.95
Cornerbacks	4.9	15th	14.18	4.8	0.95

Special Teams​

While I did not write an entire article for specialists, they’re people too. So here’s the breakdown:

Position Group	Panthers Cap %	Panthers Rank	Top Cap %	Median Cap %	Bottom Cap %
Kicker	0.34	29th	2.43	0.67	0.33
Punter	0.55	16th	1.66	0.55	0.31
Long Snapper	0.419	19th	0.56	0.46	0.30

Overall Takeaways​

Through a combination of Brandt Tillis wizardry and rookie contributors, the Panthers are not spending a whole lot on three of the four most expensive position groups: quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive line/edge. Next year, that will have to change. Bryce Young’s fifth year option kicks in, Jalen Coker could get a decent contract extension, and Jaelen Phillips’ cap hit will skyrocket. And that doesn’t even take into account Devin Lloyd and Jaycee Horn seeing huge pay bumps next year. For this year, though, the Panthers have built a team exactly how you want to: relatively inexpensive contributors at expensive positions, which frees up money to spend elsewhere. After spending around league average at a few other positions (running back, tight end, corner, punter, and long snapper), they had plenty left over to really throw money at key positions that can sometimes be overlooked like interior offensive line and safety. Everyone says the path to success in the NFL is a quarterback and some other quality players on rookie contracts supplemented with veteran guys at important spots, and that’s exactly what Dan Morgan and Brandt Tillis have built. If Bryce Young can hold up his end of the bargain, this team could be special.

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