Fans of the Carolina Panthers have a lot of bright side to look at these days, even though their favorite team’s list of injuries is rivaled only by this week’s opponent. Carolina is 2-2, coming back healthier from their early bye week, and managed to hold onto the lead in the NFC South despite not playing in Week 5. Bryce Young is playing the best ball of his career. Devin Lloyd looks like the free agent signing of the century when he’s healthy. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, when healthy, are feasting
under Young’s newfound confidence and competence. Really, what’s not to love?
88% of Panthers fans are confident in the current direction of the franchise. That is in line with the high numbers that our Reacts surveys have been returning for most of the season. These are amazing numbers for a franchise that everybody thought had a decent chance of picking near the top of the 2027 NFL Draft. If I told you at the during the 2026 NFL Draft that, by the bye week, Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Jonathon Brooks, Brady Christensen, Taylor Moton, Ikem Ekwonu, Nic Scourton, Tershawn Wharton, and Xavier Legette would all be injured reserve already, then you would have likely and reasonably assumed the Panthers were already at 0-4 and looking to sell off their used parts for pennies on the dollars.
Instead, the team is somehow trending upwards in spite of only returning Moton and Wharton off of that list in the week after the bye. There are legitimate concerns about the status and future of this roster. No team is going to lose both of their starting outside corners and thrive afterwards.
The Panthers are fortunate that their next major test is Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee. With most of his receivers having missed significant practice time—if they are even all playing on Sunday—the odds of him being the centered of a well-oiled passing machine are low.
What actually happens next is anybody’s guess, but Panthers fans have to be feeling pretty good about their chances today.
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