The Carolina Panthers got a subpar preseason NFL power ranking from ESPN.
ESPN believes the Carolina Panthers are the 23rd-best team in the NFL entering Week 1.
The Panthers won the NFC South last season with an 8-9 record. They needed help in Week 18 to win the division, so they were not a juggernaut.
The Panthers averaged only 18.3 points per game last season. That was 27th in the NFL. The offense must be better in 2026.
Otherwise, Carolina will not make the playoffs again.
Tetairoa McMillan won the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He's expected to be even better in 2026 after getting stronger this offseason.
McMillan led all rookies last season in receiving yards (1,014), receiving yards per game (59.6) and touchdown receptions (seven) and ranked third in receptions (70). He broke the Panthers' franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie.
QB Bryce Young finished with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in 2025. He led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
It will be fascinating to see how McMillan, Young and the Panthers perform in 2026. They will no longer be under the radar after making the playoffs in 2025.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, Young enters this season with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform. He's 14-30-0 as a starter.
Young is set to make $12.1 million this season in the fourth year of his rookie deal. His fifth-year option is worth a guaranteed $25.9 million.
The Panthers will not sign Young to an extension before the 2026 season. The QB has to play well again this season to get paid next offseason.
Carolina has a difficult 2026 schedule. They face the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
“I’m not a big sit back, reflect, compare (person). Doesn’t really do anything for me. So I don’t think about the past like that,” Young said. “I’m happy with the camp we’re having so far. I’m happy with the growth as a unit. But it’s still early. We’ve got a lot more to do.”
