The Carolina Panthers enter the 2026 NFL season as the reigning NFC South champions. Their first division title in 10 years is worth celebrating, but it’s also pretty far from a sure thing that they can successfully defend it.
For one thing, the Panthers didn’t exactly roll into the playoffs on a high note last year. They lost their last two games of the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and wound up in a three-way tie at the top of the division at 8-9.
As you might expect, Carolina isn’t considered a real heavyweight in the grand scheme of things. So when ranking the 2025 division winners by their chances to be dethroned in 2026, Tyler Sullivan at CBS Sports has them as the second-likeliest team to fall—with only the Pittsburgh Steelers beneath them.
Sullivan writes:
This team is still facing major questions at quarterback and has just the third-best odds to win the division. The Buccaneers are the favorite at +160 after improving their defense, while the Saints are second-best at +265… Meanwhile, the Falcons hope to catch lightning in a bottle with their upcoming quarterback battle between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. If they do… Carolina could suddenly have the worst QB in the division, which is hardly where you want to be.
It’s not ideal, but it’s also not a guarantee that quarterback Bryce Young will continue to play at the uneven level we have seen from him so far. While his brilliant flashes have come few and far between, the highs are getting higher as he goes along—as we saw in the near-upset of the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
If Young keeps on growing and starts delivering strong games on a consistent basis, then the Panthers may be able to challenge for more than just the NFC South crown.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers ranked as 2nd-likeliest 2025 division winner to drop in 2026
