Robert Hunt sees Panthers as having the right pieces to finally end playoff drought

It’s been far too long since the Panthers appeared in a postseason game. The club’s Pro Bowl right guard appears optimistic that things may be about to change.

It’s an NFL franchise that appears to be headed upwards. Good thing, because the Carolina Panthers have not reached the playoffs since 2017, and haven’t won a postseason since the NFC Championship Game 10 years ago.

“I remember ’15 when Cam Newton was here” said Panthers’ right guard Robert Hunt (via Joseph Person of The Athletic). “That’s kind of what everybody remembered. Until that changes that’s probably what you’re gonna get and that’s fair. If I sucked or if I did something terrible, I would expect people to not root for me or vote for me or have my back. But what I can say and what I feel is I’m excited to see if we can surprise a lot of people.”

An appearance in the 2025 playoffs would be a bit of surprise for a team that has posted seven straight losing seasons. After a 1-7 start in ’24, Dave Canales's sqaud won four of its final nine games, and pushed both the Chiefs (30-27) and Eagles (22-16) in losing efforts in Weeks 12 and 14, respectively.

Robert Hunt feels Panthers are headed in right direction

“Hunt is not suggesting these Panthers,” explained Joseph Person of The Athletic, “should be considered favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX…But he notes the three-win improvement the team made in his first season in Charlotte, looks around at the familiar faces in the offensive line room—and the new ones staring at him from the defensive line—and sees signs of progress. For a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2017, that will have to do.”

“I like what I see,” stated the five-year performer and 2024 Pro Bowler. “Obviously, we’ve gotta play some football here these next couple weeks and we’ll see how that feels and looks. Then we’ll play other teams and see how that feels and looks. But I think we’re built the right way. I think we’re physical. We’re big. We’re nasty. We’ve got new skills (players). We’ve got skills on defense, new D-line (guys).”

Plenty of new faces on Panthers’ defensive line

Those additions on the defensive front include Super Bowl champions such as Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III from the Chiefs and Rams, respectively. General manager Dan Morgan also used a fifth-round pick on massive University of Kentucky defensive tackle Cam Jackson. This was a Panthers’ team that allowed an incredulous 179.8 yards per game on the ground in 2024. Still, optimism reigns supreme when it comes to Carolina's right guard.

Hunt was part of two playoff teams with the Dolphins in 2022 and 2023, which ended up in losses to the Bills and Chiefs, respectively. Meanwhile, Wharton and Brown have Super Bowl rings from their previous employer. That playoff experience can’t be understated, especially for a franchise starving for a return to the postseason.