The Carolina Panthers stumbled through another lost season in 2023. The team entered the campaign with hope, landing QB Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. But hopefulness turned to despair rather quickly, the team fired coach Frank Reich after just 11 games, and the dumpster fire continues to smolder in Charlotte.
A lot of people in the Carolinas blame team owner David Tepper for being too hands-on. The team handed the reins to general manager and former Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan, and he did a pretty good job in his first NFL Draft. The team also hired promising offensive mind Dave Canales from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be coach.
It’s hard to imagine the Panthers being worse than they were in 2024. Canales should have a little longer leash than his predecessors, but who knows. Young will certainly need to take a huge step forward, however, or this team will be stuck in the basement for a while.
The outlook for the Panthers is so bleak than they’re the only NFL team without a prime-time game in 2024. But can they defy the odds?