The Carolina Panthers are preparing to open training camp in just about a week as football is on the horizon. 

For the Panthers, they are coming off a NFC South title in 2025, their first in over 10 years. While they fell short in their lone playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, they now have something to build on for this season. 

However, not many are sold on Carolina. 

The Panthers did win the division last season but they did so with a 8-9 record. And to be honest, the NFC South just wasn't very good. The Panthers shouldn't apologize for that but they did win it because of a tiebreaker. 

Luckily, they have the chance this season to prove all the doubters wrong. If Carolina can finish above .500 and win the division again, it would go a long way in terms of having people believe they can be a contender. But going into this season, the NFC South is considered one of the worst divisions in all of football.

NFL.com put out its rankings and Nick Shook has the NFC South as the worst division in all of football. Here is what he wrote on the ranking:

All it took to take home the NFC South crown in 2025 was an 8-9 record. Yep, that's where the division's reputation stands as we enter 2026: in the cellar. Now, we shouldn't take this group lightly, because there's plenty of room for surprise. Carolina filled that role in 2025, overcoming a 1-3 start and posting a 7-6 finish to win the division by virtue of a tiebreaker. The division produced a low bar, but the Panthers built plenty of positive momentum in their second season under Dave Canales, showing tangible progress.

Shook's ranking is valid. It was once the AFC South that was considered the worst division but that changed. 

The fact that a 8-9 record won the division and hosted a playoff game isn't a great look for the division as a whole. On the flip side, you could argue that they did beat up on each other which caused that to happen.

Either way, the NFC South needs to have a good showing this season.