The Carolina Panthers have been named as one of the 'sleeper' teams in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season.
Fresh off an NFC South title and a playoff appearance last season, the Carolina Panthers are hoping to take the next step in 2026. The Panthers have a lot of questions to answer this season, including at the quarterback position.
But if they want to be a true contender in the NFC, they are going to need to improve.
Dave Canales' team won the NFC South with an 8-9 record and a tiebreaker. They did give the Los Angeles Rams a fight in the NFC wild card round but fell just short of pulling off the upset. With improvement on their minds, the Panthers went out and made some moves in free agency.
The hope is that the additions of Jaelan Phillips can improve the pass rush and linebacker Devin Lloyd can sure up the linebacking crew. On offense, they added some talent on the offensive line but the biggest question will be the play of Bryce Young.
It's simple. If Young plays well, the Panthers are likely going to be better. If not, they are going to be in some trouble.
But as we sit here in July awaiting training camp to start, one writer believes they are a sleeper this season. Stacey Mickles of Touchdown Wire named the Panthers as one of four NFC teams that could be a sleeper for the Super Bowl:
The Carolina Panthers came out of nowhere last year to not only win their division but also make the playoffs and almost knock off the Los Angeles Rams. We finally saw Bryce Young emerge as the leader of this team and look like the Bryce Young we saw at Alabama. The defense also stepped up at times, but it was the Panthers' offense that carried this team, and it would not be shocking if they win this division again and make some noise.
Right now, it's hard to make that case for the Panthers. It feels like they need a lot to go there way this season to take down some of the top teams in the NFC.
We already know how good the NFC West and NFC North could be with five combined teams in the playoffs last season from those two divisions. The good news for the Panthers is they will be tested early and often this season, and they can use that as a measuring stick to see where they stand.
