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The Carolina Panthers took the NFC South from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025.
Ok, that's not entirely true.
For as much credit as Carolina head coach and former Bucs' offensive coordinator Dave Canales deserves for improving the team from 5-12 to 8-9, this was more of a case of Tampa giving away the division.
The Bucs finished the season 2-7, and had they gone even 3-6, they'd have won their fifth straight division title. Now, the Bucs go into 2026 perhaps needing to win back the division for head coach Todd Bowles to keep his job.
Tampa's first divisional matchup isn't until Week 7, and it's a big one. The Bucs will take on the Panthers in Charlotte for a 1:00 kick on Fox.
So will the Panthers challenge the Bucs for the division championship again?
Well, if the Panthers don't challenge the Bucs, the offense will probably have something to do with it.
Despite improved play from QB Bryce Young in Year 3 last year, (3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, 11 INT) and the emergance of rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan (1,014 yards, seven touchdowns, 70 catches), Carolina's offense was among the NFL's worst in 2025, averaging 18.3 points per game, which was the sixth fewest in the league and the second fewest in the NFC.
The Panthers emphasized their offensive line over the offseason, signing Luke Frotner (C), Stone Forsythe (OT) and Rasheed Walker (LT) to one-year contracts.
Carolina was better defensively last season, finishing 15th in the league in scoring defense at 22.4 points per game. Defense is where the Panthers spent most of their free-agent money, with the two big acquisitions being Devin Lloyd (three years, $45 million) and Jalen Phillips (four years, $120 million).
Lloyd was an All-Pro linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Phillips hasn't been an All-Pro yet, but is one of the most disruptive defensive ends in the game. Last season, he finished fifth in the NFL in QB pressure rate (15.9%) per Pro Football Focus, with his 73 total pressures ranking ninth out of 115 edge rushers. The Panthers finished with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL last year and had a 26.2% pressure rate as a team, so signing a guy like Phillips was needed.
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Continue reading...
Ok, that's not entirely true.
For as much credit as Carolina head coach and former Bucs' offensive coordinator Dave Canales deserves for improving the team from 5-12 to 8-9, this was more of a case of Tampa giving away the division.
The Bucs finished the season 2-7, and had they gone even 3-6, they'd have won their fifth straight division title. Now, the Bucs go into 2026 perhaps needing to win back the division for head coach Todd Bowles to keep his job.
Tampa's first divisional matchup isn't until Week 7, and it's a big one. The Bucs will take on the Panthers in Charlotte for a 1:00 kick on Fox.
So will the Panthers challenge the Bucs for the division championship again?
Well, if the Panthers don't challenge the Bucs, the offense will probably have something to do with it.
Despite improved play from QB Bryce Young in Year 3 last year, (3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, 11 INT) and the emergance of rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan (1,014 yards, seven touchdowns, 70 catches), Carolina's offense was among the NFL's worst in 2025, averaging 18.3 points per game, which was the sixth fewest in the league and the second fewest in the NFC.
The Panthers emphasized their offensive line over the offseason, signing Luke Frotner (C), Stone Forsythe (OT) and Rasheed Walker (LT) to one-year contracts.
Carolina was better defensively last season, finishing 15th in the league in scoring defense at 22.4 points per game. Defense is where the Panthers spent most of their free-agent money, with the two big acquisitions being Devin Lloyd (three years, $45 million) and Jalen Phillips (four years, $120 million).
Lloyd was an All-Pro linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Phillips hasn't been an All-Pro yet, but is one of the most disruptive defensive ends in the game. Last season, he finished fifth in the NFL in QB pressure rate (15.9%) per Pro Football Focus, with his 73 total pressures ranking ninth out of 115 edge rushers. The Panthers finished with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL last year and had a 26.2% pressure rate as a team, so signing a guy like Phillips was needed.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
