CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The Carolina Panthers open the 2025 season with confidence and a clear direction. After closing 2024 on an upswing, quarterback Bryce Young looks ready to take the next step from promise to production. Head coach Dave Canales, entering his second year, has invested in surrounding Young with emerging weapons, including rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, while strengthening the defense.
Bryce Young Ready to Lead
Bryce Young’s second NFL season showed why the Panthers drafted him first overall. He shook off a slow start and finished the year on a high note, capped by his best performance yet in the season finale against Atlanta — three touchdown passes, two rushing scores, and command of the huddle that hadn’t been seen consistently before.
The Panthers believe that version of Young is here to stay. He spent the offseason building chemistry with his receivers and operating with a full grasp of Canales’ system. No longer simply adjusting to the league, Young enters Year 3 as the unquestioned leader of a franchise intent on climbing back into contention.
Canales in Year Two: Stability and Identity
Dave Canales begins his second year with a stronger foundation. He took over a team that struggled in 2023 and navigated early turbulence in 2024 before helping the Panthers find their footing late in the season. Now, with Young entrenched as the starter and the roster more balanced, Canales is tasked with establishing a clear identity: a fast, aggressive offense and a defense that can finally hold its own.
Continuity matters. After years of turnover at quarterback and on the sideline, Carolina has both positions settled. Canales and Young have the chance to grow together — a pairing the front office sees as the franchise’s long-term backbone.
Offensive Firepower: McMillan Headlines New Look
The biggest splash of the offseason came when Carolina drafted wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall. At 6-foot-5 with polished route-running and reliable hands, he was billed as a pro-ready prospect. Training camp and preseason only confirmed it. McMillan has already flashed a natural connection with Young, including a 30-yard gain in August that drew immediate comparisons to a seasoned duo.
He’ll join Xavier Legette, last year’s first-rounder, and emerging target Jalen Coker to form a wide receiver group with both size and speed. The Panthers are clearly leaning into their young core, with McMillan expected to accelerate Young’s rise and give Carolina its most dynamic pass-catching unit in years.
In the backfield, Chuba Hubbard takes the lead role after proving himself as a reliable starter in 2024. Rico Dowdle slots in as the primary backup, offering downhill power and experience that can keep the running game steady when Hubbard needs a breather. The Panthers expect their ground game to support Bryce Young’s passing attack by keeping defenses honest and setting up play-action opportunities.
Defense Looking for Redemption
Carolina’s defense gave up more than 530 points in 2024, the worst mark in franchise history. That statistic hung over the offseason, and the front office responded by investing heavily in reinforcements. The line added young pass-rushing depth, and the secondary gained stability around Jaycee Horn, who signed a four-year, $100 million extension. Horn, when healthy, is one of the NFL’s most talented corners, and Carolina has doubled down on him as the centerpiece of its defensive rebuild.
The expectation isn’t perfection overnight, but progress is non-negotiable. A unit that consistently gave up big plays last year must tighten up if the Panthers want to contend in a balanced NFC South.
Reasons for Optimism
- Quarterback growth: Young finished 2024 strong and now enters this season as the unquestioned leader.
- Playmaking upgrade: McMillan’s addition, paired with Legette, gives Young two young weapons who can stretch defenses.
- Continuity: Canales and Young enter Year 2 together, building on an offense that gained traction late last year.
- Favorable schedule: Carolina faces one of the league’s softer slates, with opportunities to stack wins early and stay competitive late.
Schedule Highlights
- Week 1 (Sept. 7): at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 2 (Sept. 14): at Arizona Cardinals
- Week 3 (Sept. 21): vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Week 4 (Sept. 28): at New England Patriots
- Week 12 (Nov. 24): Monday Night Football at the San Francisco 49ers — a prime-time road test against one of the NFC’s elite.
- Week 14: Bye
- Weeks 10–18: Division-heavy stretch that could decide playoff positioning.
The Week 12 showdown against San Francisco looms large. It’s a chance to measure progress against a perennial contender in front of a national audience. Win or lose, how Carolina competes in that game could reveal whether this team is ready to make the leap.
Looking Ahead
The Panthers aren’t selling hope alone this time. They have a quarterback who looks ready to command the offense, a coach building a system around him, and young talent that fits together on paper. The defense remains a question mark, but with Horn secured long term and reinforcements in place, improvement is expected.
Carolina’s future hinges on the same factor driving its present: Bryce Young. If his trajectory continues upward, the Panthers have a path back to relevance in the NFC South — and possibly beyond.
