Last season, some believed the Carolina Panthers were poised to take a step forward after selecting Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. But they struggled again, finishing the 2023 season with a 2-15 record. In 2024, the Panthers showed modest improvement, finishing the year at 5-12, thanks in part to better quarterback play from Young.
Now heading into Young’s third season, Carolina hopes to post its first winning record since 2017. One person who sees a turnaround coming is NFL talk show host Kay Adams. On Up & Adams, she shared her list of the top five teams she expects to bounce back in 2025 — and the Panthers made the cut at No. 5.
Adams believes Carolina will easily hit the over on their projected win total (6.5) and could even sneak into the playoffs.
“Carolina Panthers, that’s correct,” Adams said. “They went 4-5 in the second half of last season. Bryce Young came alive down the stretch. Their win total is six-and-a-half, that’s crazy. Do I think that they could push for a wildcard spot down the stretch, I do, in the NFC South? Of course.”
Not saying that the Panthers can’t make a legit run, but they certainly don’t have many believing that they are Super Bowl contenders. Young hasn’t had a Pro Bowl like season, the wide receiver room is suspect, and they’ve been one of the bottom teams in the league since Cam Newton left them for the Patriots in 2020.
The Panthers also have the benefit of playing in what’s arguably the weakest division in the NFL. The NFC South produced just one winning team last season, and both the Panthers and Saints finished at the bottom with identical 5-12 records.
To help Bryce Young take the next step, Carolina used its first-round pick on Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, giving him a big-play target on the outside. The team also made key additions in the offseason, signing safety Trevon Moehrig, running back Rico Dowdle, and linebacker Christian Rozeboom.
While a Super Bowl run is unlikely for a young team still in the early stages of a rebuild, the Panthers could be in the mix for the NFC South title — especially if the division remains as weak as it was last year.
Kay Adams rounded out her list of turnaround teams with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4, the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 3, the Chicago Bears at No. 2, and the New England Patriots at No. 1.
The Patriots with Drake Maye in his second season and under the leadership of Mike Vrabel could make noise this season. They added big ticket free agent Milton Williams and added Stefon Diggs to their wide receiver corps while having a solid draft.
