It’s become somewhat common to see NFL teams rise from the ashes after a rough stretch. In 2024, the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers reached the playoffs after each had finished dead last in their respective divisions the previous season.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut recently penned a piece on that premise. “As training camp kicks off,” explained Johnson, “we’re predicting five NFL teams that could have breakout seasons in 2025 and exceed expectations. While not all of them will make the playoffs, some of these clubs could wind up punching their ticket or even winning their division.”
The Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders are Johnson’s five breakout teams. The Cards finished 8-9 this past season, the Bears 5-12, and the other three clubs posted 4-13 marks. The Pats, Bears, and Raiders all finished last in their respective divisions, while Arizona and Jacksonville were third-place clubs this past season.
Speaking of finishing third, that’s where the NFC South's Carolina Panthers settled in with a 5-12 record in 2024. It was the same mark as the New Orleans Saints, but the latter earned a berth in the basement. The Panthers have finished with a losing record in each of the past seven seasons, and own a combined 36-80 record dating back to 2018.
There’s little doubt that Dave Canales’s new-look team certainly has the resume to warrant consideration as a “breakout team” in 2025. The Panthers won four of their final nine games behind improved play from quarterback Bryce Young. It was quite a turnaround for a team that was 1-7 after eight weeks, and quite a comeback for a player that was benched after two games.
So it’s onto 2025, with a few interesting scheduling notes. Canales’s club faces the reigning NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in the season’s finale three weeks. It’s also worth noting that the Panthers clash with three of Johnson’s breakout teams in the first four weeks of ’25. Carolina opens the season at Jacksonville, then travels to Arizona. The Panthers host the Falcons in Week 3, then head north to Foxborough the following Sunday.
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