Courtesy of winning the NFC South last season, the Carolina Panthers are now facing the toughest schedule in their division for the 2026 season. FanDuel is currently offering odds on the 2026 NFC Champion and four of the top six teams, per those odds, are on Carolinas schedule. Those are the three teams who won the other NFC divisions last year and the Green Bay Packers.
The Panthers (+3300) are the twelfth most likely team to win the NFC South by these odds. The Washington Commanders (+2500), the Dallas
Cowboys (+1100), the San Francisco 49ers (+800), and the Seattle Seahawks (+500) are the only teams in the top 11 who aren’t on Carolinas schedule.
There are meager brightsides to the home/road split on this schedule, despite traveling the fewest miles of any team this season. The fact of the matter is that this is the tenth hardest schedule in the NFL, by 2025 winning percentage of opponents. For comparison, the New Orleans Saints have the second easiest, the Atlanta Falcons have the fourth easiest, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the twelfth easiest. Winning the NFC South again will be a true test of both Bryce Young and Dave Canales’ progress.
Instant predictions:
- Week 1: Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears, September 13th at 1:00 PM – L
A home opener and another revenge game against the Bears? A lot of feelings will be running through Bank of America stadium at the start of the season and none of those will be buoyed by Young and Canales’ abysmal track record in openers. I might change my mind on this one if Canales doesn’t spend the entire preseason trying to hide the field from Young and the team shows signs of life. Feels like a tall order. - Week 2: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons, September 20th at 1:00 PM – W
Atlanta Bryce makes a rare early season appearance to instill hope in a second contract with the Falcons in 2028. - Week 3: Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns, September 27th at 1:00 PM – L
The Browns defense proves too much on the road. I have no idea who is playing quarterback for the Browns in Week 3, but I’m afraid that may not matter too much against the Panthers. - Week 4: Carolina Panthers vs Detroit Lions, October 4th on Sunday Night Football – W
I’m not convinced the Lions are trending upwards. The Panthers lean back into a run first offense and limit mistakes in a close home win. A triumph on national television and right before a bye feels like the start of something. - Week 5: BYE
- Week 6: Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles, October 18th at 1:00 PM – W
Carolina gets a rematch from their promising 2024 loss and, with a greatly improved offense and defense, pull out the upset to improve to 3-2. Hope is in the air. - Week 7: Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, October 25th at 1:00 PM – L
Division games are weird, part I. - Week 8: Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers, October 29th on Thursday Night Football – L
Monroe Freeling vs Micah Parsons doesn’t feel like a favorable match up just yet. The Panthers drop below .500 since this game is before Toyotathon. - Week 9: Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos, November 8th at 1:00 PM – W
The Broncos may be ascendant, but I cannot in good conscience predict success for Sean Payton. I’m not saying I’d take a 1-16 season if the Panthers beat the Broncos, I’m just saying if they have to go 1-16 that this is one of the top games I’d want to be the one. - Week 10: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, November 15th at 1:00 PM – L
Division game are weird, part II. - Week 11: Carolina Panthers vs Baltimore Ravens, November 22nd at 1:00 PM – L
Nobody knows what to make of a Harbaugh-less Ravens, but their roster remains stacked. If Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are healthy then this is as confident an L as I can predict. - Week 12: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, November 30th on Monday Night Football – L
Swept by the Bucs hurts after being unable to beat them and claim the NFC South crown outright in Week 18 last season. But combine division games are weird, part IV with Monday Night Football and I’m not optimistic. - Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings, December 6th – W
With only four wins entering December, the Panthers season is on life support. Whoever is playing quarterback for the Vikings at this point doesn’t scare me. I think a surprisingly healthy Panthers teams takes this game on the road. - Week 14: Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints, December 13th at 1:00 PM – W
Shough’s magical run can’t last forever. A little part return to earth, a little part divisional games are weird, part V. - Week 15: Carolina Panthers vs Cincinnati Bengals, December 20th at 1:00 PM – L
- Week 16: Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers, December 27th – W
The Ghost of Aaron Rodgers gets put to rest. - Week 17: Carolina Panthers vs Seattle Seahawks, January 3rd, 2027 at 1:00 PM – L
Not even if Darnold pumpkins in Week 1 will I be penciling this in as a Carolina win. There’s a lot of football to be played before this games kicks off, but let’s be realistic along the way. - Week 18: Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons, January 10th, 2027 – TBD – W
Sweeping the Falcons just feels right.
Final record: 8-9
NFC South record: 3-3, 3rd place
The Panthers are at a moment in time where they feel like they have to take a huge step forward or else risk taking a massive step backwards. 2026 is Bryce Young’s make-or-break season, Carolina just broke it’s decade-long playoff drought, and fans are ready for more. Unfortunately, life rarely offers clean stories. Young is more likely to play at his exact level from last season and see the Panthers to the exact same record than he is to step up or fall back in any significant way.
That said, place a high variance on this record prediction. Let’s say +/- 5 wins depending on how Young performs. If he steps up as the number one pick that David Tepper always believed in then he could outplay the NFC South and pick up one or two more wins across the schedule. If he reverts to Reich/Rookie Bryce then the wheels fall off before the Panthers even see their bye week.
My expectation is that we land somewhere in the middle and leave 2026 the same way we entered it: with no clear answers about the team. maybe some vague optimism around Canales and Dan Morgan, and little draft capital to address the quarterback position.
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