ESPN Isn't High on Future of Carolina Panthers

The 2026 NFL season is right around the corner as Week 1 will kick off in just over three weeks from now. For the Carolina Panthers, they will host the Chicago Bears in Week 1 to begin their season, looking to repeat as NFC South champions.

Despite winning the division, there are some big questions for the Panthers to address. 

Carolina went 8-9 and won a tie-breaker to earn the division title. So the questions are pretty valid going into this season. It's not only about this season that is in focus but the future as well.

As we get set to push through the preseason, ESPN's Louis Riddick released his NFL future power rankings, stacking the 32 teams based on expectations for 2027 to 2029. The rankings take into account four categories, ranking each team in the league to come up with a score.

For the Panthers, you have to look pretty far down the list to find them as they checked in at No. 23 overall. Carolina scored a 74.7 overall rating based on four categories. 

Their overall roster, excluding quarterback, was 25th in the NFL, while the quarterback ranking was 26th. Coaching finished as the highest category for Carolina, ranking 16th, while the Front Office was 20th.

As for reasons for hope, here is what Benjamin Solak wrote on the Panthers:

Carolina's aggressive spending on defense could return an above-average unit in 2026 and signal a rosy future. I'd also bet on a strong sophomore year from reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan moving the Panthers up a couple of spots in next year's ranking. 

The reason for concern is centered around quarterback Bryce Young who needs to be more consistent moving forward. Riddick notes that injuries on the offensive line plus a lack of a true WR2 opposite of Tetairoa McMillan, could be a problem in terms of consistency moving forward. 

A good year in 2026 with Young taking a step forward in his development would go a long ways in improving this ranking. But as we know in the NFL, things can change on a week-to-week basis for better or for worse.