After a surprising season in 2025, the Panthers are approaching the 2026 season with higher expectations led by their dynamic wide receiver core.
The Carolina Panthers shocked the world last season by sneaking into the playoffs.
They were a team that was mostly written off because of the high expectations placed on quarterback Bryce Young.
When the Heisman Trophy-winning Young was selected first overall by the Panthers in 2023, he certainly struggled to adapt to the NFL, with a 6-22 career record in his first two seasons.
The problem was, Young hardly had any help. His offensive line was among the worst in the league and the Panthers lacked a real threat in the wide receiver room.
That changed in the 2025 season.
Carolina’s wide receiver duo featuring undrafted wide receiver Jalen Coker and top-10 pick Tetairoia McMillan quite literally changed the game for the Panthers.
The connection that Coker and Young formed was palpable from the start. In his rookie season, Coker averaged a smidge under 15 yards per catch and posted a pair of touchdowns.
Last season in his rookie year, McMillan eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark, hauling in seven touchdowns on 14.5 yards per catch.
McMillan also brings a big play ability that Carolina desperately needed before he arrived. He’s the kind of player that can catch the 50-50 balls.
“He’s our guy,” Coker said in reference to Young in November. “I’m always gonna ride with him and that’s the end of the story.”
And it paid off dividends. Young enjoyed his best season as a starter, completing passes at a 63% clip and helping the Panthers claim an NFC South Division title. Not only that, they nearly beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round.
Another year in, and it’s expected that the receiver duo of Coker and McMillan will take another step.
But in order for them both to take another step. And that requires Coker to be on the field.
Early on in training camp last season, Coker suffered an injury that forced him to be out for at least the first six weeks.
The star power of McMillan is impossible to ignore, but adding Coker on a full-time basis can open up the field and allow the offense to be spread wide open.
With a fresh coat of paint, Coker enters the season healthy and looking to build on the chemistry he developed with Young.
This has the makings of one of the more dynamic duos in the NFL, but the first step is opening the season healthy.
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