Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
So said Forrest Gump, who was a special kind of kick returner during his days at Alabama. Gump's advice also applies neatly to the 2026 Carolina Panthers.
Last season, the Panthers were seemingly capable of anything—both good and bad. In addition to upsetting the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams despite being double-digit underdogs, they also lost twice to the 6-11 New Orleans Saints and consistently played down to their inferior opponents.
Three games into the 2026 campaign, it seems like that dynamic has carried over—because nobody has any clue what to expect from this team from week to week.
According to John Breech at CBS Sports, this is the most unpredictable team
in the league. Breech wrote the following after Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns:
Through three weeks, the Panthers might be the most unpredictable team in the NFL. They got blown out in Week 1, they blew out the Falcons in Week 2, and now, they lost a close one here. This is the type of game that this team needs to win if they want to get back to the playoffs for the second straight year.
You'll hear no argument from us. However, it's important to remember where this team has come from.
Being wildly inconsistent from week to week is a pretty radical step up from getting blown out all the time and losing far more often than not—as they did during the Matt Rhule and Frank Reich eras.
Head coach Dave Canales has to figure out why he's not getting more consistent results, but Carolina fans have to be patient and remember it takes time to build a contender.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers labeled 'most unpredictable team in the NFL'
