Carolina Panthers 2025 Profile

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Dave Canales
Offensive Coordinator: Brad Idzik
Defensive Coordinator: Ejiro Evero
Special Teams Coordinator: Tracy Smith

2024 Summary (W-L Record: 5-12)

Last season started the same way most of the previous season went for the Panthers. They lost their first two games and got outscored 73-13, ultimately leading to the benching of Bryce Young. They would get off to a 1-7 start before turning the tides.

Young eventually returned to the lineup and played like a different quarterback. The Panthers went 4-5 over their final 9 games, which included hard-fought losses to the Eagles, Chiefs, and Buccaneers.

But despite the improved play down the stretch, you can see from their numbers below that they just weren’t a very good football team:

The most important development of last season, by far, was the revival of Bryce Young’s short career. Carolina went from a situation where their former #1 overall pick seemed on the verge of being a complete bust to one where the Panthers now have someone they can be optimistic about at the most important position.

Head coach Dave Canales deserves a ton of credit for that turnaround. Young is the third quarterback in 3 years whose career Canales has revitalized. There was Geno Smith in 2022 when he was the Seahawks QB Coach. Then there was Baker Mayfield in 2023 when he was the Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator. And then there was Young last year in Carolina.

Interestingly enough, it was Canales’ decision to bench Young that may have turned his career around. You can check out my film session breaking down 40 plays from Young’s 2024 season below:

Key Additions

RB Rico Dowdle
RB Trevor Etienne (4th Rd, 114th Overall)
WR Tetairoa McMillan (1st Rd, 8th Overall)
WR Jimmy Horn (6th Rd, 208th Overall)
WR Hunter Renfrow

DT Bobby Brown
DT Tershawn Wharton
EDGE Patrick Jones
EDGE Nic Scourton (2nd Rd, 51st Overall)
EDGE Princely Umanmielen (3rd Rd, 77th Overall)
LB Christian Rozeboom
S Tre’von Moehrig
S Lathan Ransom (4th Rd, 122nd Overall)

Key Losses

RB Miles Sanders

DT DeShawn Williams
EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
LB Josey Jewell
LB Shaq Thompson
CB Dane Jackson
S Xavier Woods
S Jordan Fuller

Did They Address Their Holes?

On offense, the Panthers made major strides up front from 2023 to 2024. They needed more at receiver heading into this season, though. The Panthers played with the 4th highest frequency of 11 personnel in the league last year. That means they’re in need of 3 (or more) reliable receivers to run their offense.

The receivers they did have didn’t scare anyone last season. In fact, they faced the 3rd-highest-frequency of man coverage according to

Cody Alexander

of MatchQuarters, an indicator that teams had no respect for their receiving corps.

They were also blitzed at the 2nd-highest rate, a sign that opponents were more than okay playing with fewer defenders in coverage against Carolina.

The Panthers responded by selecting receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the 8th overall pick in this year’s draft. McMillan is 6’5” with a huge catch radius. And while he doesn’t necessarily create a ton of separation (receivers his size rarely do), his ability to make contested catches and then be an effective run-after-catch receiver will make teams think twice about playing so much man coverage.

The biggest hole the Panthers needed to address this offseason, however, was their defense. This was officially the worst unit in the league a year ago. They allowed the most points in the league. They allowed the most yards. They were the worst in the NFL at getting pressure on the QB. They were the worst 3rd-down defense. Opposing QBs had the highest passer rating against them. They were dead last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, per attempt, as well as 10-yard runs allowed.

It’s a borderline miracle that the Panthers were able to win any games, let alone 5, with that defense.

Judging by the key additions (scroll up a bit to see), the Panthers aimed to completely re-build their defense this offseason. They added pieces at all 3 levels via free agency and the draft.

Biggest Questions Entering 2025

Yes, the Panthers made a bunch of changes on defense, but will it be enough? I guess, at a minimum, it can’t be any worse than it was a year ago.

The biggest issue they had last year was in their front-7. And this is where they made the biggest upgrades this offseason. They brought in defensive tackle Bobby Brown from the Rams to help make the run defense more stout. They added DT Tershawn Wharton from the Chiefs, who should help provide an interior pass rush. He finished last season with a career high 6.5 sacks.

They added edger rusher Patrick Jones from the Vikings, who also had a career high in sacks last season (7.0). Then at linebacker, they brought in Christian Rozeboom, also from the Rams.

Picking off players from the better defenses in the league isn’t a bad approach to rebuilding this side of the ball, by the way. Not to mention, the Panthers also used their 2nd and 3rd-round picks on edge rushers.

Hopefully for Carolina, having a better front-7 will make the secondary more effective. Perhaps that helps a high-level talent like cornerback Jaycee Horn regain his form in 2025.

The other big question with the Panthers this season is just how far Bryce Young can go. He bounced back substantially last year, but can he turn a corner and deliver on the promise that a #1 overall pick brings?

There are signs that he can. For one, Young doesn’t have a strong arm, but you might be surprised to find out that the Panthers’ passing game attacked downfield as if he did. They were 4th in the NFL in percentage of throws traveling 10 yards or more from the line of scrimmage last year. Young finished the season with the 9th-highest frequency of throws traveling 20 yards or more, and PFF had him as the 5th-highest rated passer on those throws.

Considering he doesn’t have a big arm, those numbers are indicators of how well he anticipates and plays with excellent timing when at his best.

So can he be at his best more frequently with the improved talent around him? Can he take that big step from being a quarterback who merely salvaged his career to one who can be a top-10 passer and lead this team to a division title?

His super power is in what he has above the shoulders. The more NFL experience he gets and the more he’s exposed to all the defenses this league has to offer, the more answers he’ll have. And the greater the likelihood is that he can take that big next step as a quarterback.

2025 Outlook

Similar to what I wrote about the Saints the other day, all 4 teams in the NFC South have a legitimate shot of competing for the division title.

The Panthers won’t be able to do that without a substantial improvement on defense, but that’s absolutely in play with the additions they made. On top of that, they have a quarterback who has the traits to be able to play consistently, which you need to compete for a division title.

Last season was about the Panthers getting on the right track and putting themselves in position for a meaningful 2025. This season is about taking the next step.