Chuba Hubbard wants to win the Super Bowl, and he thinks the Carolina Panthers are as close as they've ever been since he was drafted in 2021. Whether or not that's the case, that sentiment doesn't quite detail how far they are from it. Per the betting odds, they're in the bottom 10 of all NFL teams, so it's a huge long shot.
CBS Sports insider Jared Dubin also said that they've been closer in Hubbard's career. They opened with better odds in 2021 than they have in 2025, though it's still not saying much because they were a huge long shot then, too.
To further illustrate his point, Dubin brought out the history books. The Panthers would have the longest odds of any Super Bowl champion since the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who were perhaps the underdog of all underdogs. The Panthers probably won't be that.
"In other words, there's almost no precedent for a team in the Panthers' situation winning the Super Bowl. But the key word there, from the Panthers' perspective, is obviously 'almost.' Because it has, indeed, happened before. It's just, you know, incredibly unlikely," Dubin said.
The Panthers are certainly poised to be better this season. They've finally landed on their quarterback and seem to have a head coach they can rely on. Their defense is improved over last year, though the bar was on the floor. Special teams should be better. It just might lead to eight wins, not a Super Bowl title. It takes longer to build that, but the Panthers seem to understand that.
