SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald headlined the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class featuring five players but not six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick.
What You Need To Know
Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald headlined the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class featuring five players but not six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick
Brees and Fitzgerald both made it in their first year of eligibility in results announced at NFL Honors
Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri made it in their second seasons of eligibility, while Roger Craig was the lone pick among seniors, coaches and contributors
But the class is also noteworthy for Belichick’s absence as at least 11 of the 50 voters opted against giving him a vote despite a career with 333 wins and the most Super Bowl titles of any head coach
Brees and Fitzgerald both made it in their first year of eligibility in results announced at NFL Honors on Thursday night after prolific careers. Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri made it in their second seasons of eligibility, while Roger Craig was the lone pick among seniors, coaches and contributors.
“One of the coolest moments was getting up on that stage with all the other Hall of Famers,” Fitzgerald said. “That moment kind of crystallized it for me.”
But the class is also noteworthy for Belichick’s absence as at least 11 of the 50 voters opted against giving him a vote despite a career with 333 wins in the regular season and playoffs and the most Super Bowl titles of any head coach. A report last week that Belichick fell short in his first year of eligibility was met with widespread criticism of both the voters and the process for choosing Hall of Famers.
“His stats speak for themselves,” said Vinatieri, who played six years for Belichick.
“I thought he’d have a real good chance to be up there as well. The people who voted made their votes and I think he’ll be up here one day.”
The man who hired Belichick in New England to set the stage for the Patriots dynasty also fell short, with owner Robert Kraft failing to get enough votes.
This is the second straight year with a smaller class after only four people made it last year as new rule changes have made it harder to get into the Hall. There had been at least seven people inducted in the previous 12 classes before last year.
That contributed to the snub for Belichick and Kraft, who were grouped with Craig and two other players — Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood — who have been retired for at least 25 seasons. The voters picked three of the five candidates with the highest vote-getter and anyone else above 80% getting the honor.
Craig, who was in his 28th year of eligibility, was the only one of those five to make it. Craig was the first player ever to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, which happened in 1985, and he led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988 when he helped San Francisco win the Super Bowl.
Craig also was part of the title-winning teams for the 49ers in the 1984 and 1989 seasons. His 410 yards from scrimmage in those Super Bowl wins are the third-most ever behind Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Franco Harris.
The four modern-era candidates all overlapped for several years, waging many battles against each other.
“Very early on you realized there was something special and unique about these guys,” Brees said.
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl victories during New England’s dynasty with Belichick and Kraft in charge. He joined Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen as the only players in the Hall who were primarily kickers in their careers.
Vinatieri helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
Brees is second all time to Tom Brady with 80,358 yards passing and 571 touchdown passes. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the San Diego Chargers before signing as a free agent with the Saints in 2006, where his career took off as he helped lift a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees delivered to New Orleans its first Super Bowl title following the 2009 season, when he won MVP of the game after beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times in his career, won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, was an All-Pro in 2006 and was a second-team All-Pro four times.
Fitzgerald spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals after being drafted third overall in 2004. His 1,432 catches and 17,492 yards receiving in 17 seasons rank second all time to Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald topped 1,000 yards receiving nine times — tied for the fourth-most ever — and helped the Cardinals reach their only Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Fitzgerald set single-season records that postseason with 546 yards receiving and seven TD catches, including a go-ahead 64-yard score with 2:37 to play in the Super Bowl before Pittsburgh rallied for a 27-23 win over Arizona.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times, with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Voters reduced the list of 15 finalists in the modern era category to 10 and then seven before voting for five to make it. The top three vote-getters and anyone else above 80% got into the Hall.
Offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Marshal Yanda, and edge rusher Terrell Suggs made it to the final seven in the modern-era category and will automatically be finalists again next year.
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Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly made All-Pro seven times in his eight-year career from 2012-19. He remains active with the team as one of its radio analysts.
JEFF SINER
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Carolina Panthers legend Luke Kuechly earned the highest honor of his starry NFL career Thursday night, making the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.
The announcement came Thursday night at the NFL Honors show in San Francisco. Kuechly, elected on his second attempt, will be joined in the five-man class by quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri and running back Roger Craig. Kuechly becomes the first hall of famer to have played his entire career with the Panthers, where he was a linebacker from 2012-19.
Kuechly’s career was cut short at age 28, due to injury complications. Now 34, he did so much in such a relatively short time on the field that he will become the second-youngest football player ever inducted into the hall of fame. Only former Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers was younger.
The Charlotte Observer spoke with Kuechly about the possibility of this honor earlier this week, and he was quick to credit his teammates and coaches.
“It’s an individual accomplishment, yes,” Kuechly said of the idea of making the hall of fame. “But football is the ultimate team game. And I think it would just really highlight that group of guys from that period when we had a ton of success. That, to me, is the coolest part.”
Kuechly went on to mention the people who drafted him No. 9 overall out of Boston College in 2012 — coach Ron Rivera, general manager Marty Hurney and team founder Jerry Richardson among them — as well as defensive coordinator Sean McDermott for building a defense that “really highlighted linebackers.”
“I had so much fun playing for the Panthers,” said Kuechly, who now broadcasts Carolina games as an analyst on the team’s radio network. “I grew so much as a person…. I hope this will also highlight the team that gave me the opportunity to go do it.”
Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (right) points and yells out instructions to the defense as New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady prepares to call out a play in a 2015 preseason game. Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Dave Tepper, the Panthers’ current owner, was in the crowd at the event. Several of Kuechly’s former Carolina teammates also planned to celebrate with him later in the evening.
While Kuechly will get a gold jacket signifying his induction, former N.C. State star Torry Holt was once again a finalist who didn’t make the cut. Holt, a wide receiver whose NFL statistics are comparable to several men already in the hall of fame, has been eligible for 12 years and a top-15 modern-era finalist seven times.
Also notably missing in the Class of 2026 was Bill Belichick, the current UNC coach who was thought by many to be a sure first-ballot hall of famer due to his six Super Bowl wins as a head coach in New England. Instead, Belichick will have to wait at least another year after falling short in voting as previously reported by ESPN (coaches, along with other senior players and contributors, are voted on in a separate category). Quarterback Eli Manning also was a top-15 finalist who lost in the voting, which is conducted by a panel of 50 voters — most of them media members who have covered the NFL for many years.
Kuechly’s honor came only a few minutes after Tetairoa McMillan was named the AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year at the same NFL Honors award show.
Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly during a 2019 practice, the last year he played for the Panthers. Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
In eight NFL seasons, Kuechly was named All-Pro seven times, AP Defensive Rookie of the Year once, AP Defensive Player of the Year once and won the league’s best sportsmanship award once. You could argue that he was the best inside linebacker in the NFL every single year he played. Even today, his pre-snap diagnoses of what the opposing quarterback was trying to do are cited around the NFL as the gold standard in preparation.
Kuechly never won a Super Bowl — coming closest in 2015, when the Panthers made the big game but lost, 24-10, to Denver. In retirement, Kuechly has continued to live in Charlotte and each year helps former teammates Greg Olsen and Jonathan Stewart coach the Charlotte Christian middle-school football team.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be inducted in early August in Canton, Ohio, which is where the hall is located.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 10:14 PM.
Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. He has earned 24 national APSE sportswriting awards and hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler hosts the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which features 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons. He also writes occasionally about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte in 1974. Support my work with a digital subscription
But it’s still not what he necessarily expected, or hoped for.
On Sunday, as Carolina Panthers players packed up their lockers and met with their coaches, several soon-to-be free agents grappled with the feeling of uncertainty, of where they will be playing for the 2026 season. And Dowdle, the running back fresh off a 1,000-yard season, was among the most notable unrestricted free agents to be peppered with questions about his future.
He was thoughtful, and candid.
“For me, I just want to be a guy to go out there and get the bulk,” said Dowdle, who for his first season in Carolina finished with 236 carries for 1,076 yards and added 39 receptions for 297 yards. “Trying to let it run. Like I said, my game shows that the more I get throughout the game, the stronger and better I get. So I just want to take that into consideration from how it played out the past couple weeks.”
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and Rico Dowdle hug after the 27-24 early October win against the Miami Dolphins. Grant Halverson Getty Images
Dowdle acknowledged Saturday that he has been here before. He was a free agent last offseason after putting together a 1,000-plus yard season for the Dallas Cowboys.
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle carries the ball against Los Angeles Rams corner back Emmanuel Forbes Jr. during the wild card playoff game at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Charlotte TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
After all, Dowdle broke out in late September as Hubbard was sidelined with an injury. His emergence rose a tide that lifted the Panthers’ offense: He took 23 carries for 206 yards in Week 5. He had 30 carries for 183 yards in Week 6. And his best performance of the year came in a two-touchdown day in his team’s upset over Green Bay, where Dowdle ran for 130 yards on 25 carries — and performed the infamous “two-pump celebration” that ended up doing a lot good off the field.
Then, slowly, his attempts declined a bit. Hubbard’s health and his expanded role contributed to it. But so did Dowdle’s relative lack of production when he was given chances. From Week 11 to the end of the season, Dowdle only averaged 3.22 yards per carry and never accumulated more than 59 yards in a single game. That compounded to even fewer touches. In the high-scoring playoff game Saturday against the Rams, he only ran the ball five times for 9 yards — his longest run on the day being 8 yards.
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle smiles at a young fan at Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHS) in Charlotte, NC on Friday, November 14, 2025. Dowdle presented CHS with a check for $45,000 as a he turned a penalty into purpose, transforming a fine for his touchdown celebration into a charitable cause. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
When asked if he knows why his reps declined, Dowdle deadpanned: “No idea.”
Any explanation for that shift in role? “No,” he said.
Dowdle later expounded: “You definitely gotta take all of that into account, for sure. It is what it is. I can only control what I can control and go from there. But it definitely plays a factor. …
“When you got a lot of guys out there, making a decision is hard on the people upstairs. You know, from us as running backs, we can just control what we can control, go out there and put our best foot forward each day.”
When asked, head coach Dave Canales said he enjoyed working with Dowdle but was equally and understandably non-committal about the running back’s future in Carolina.
“These are all things we’re going to need to talk about over the next couple of days with (general manager Dan Morgan, executive vice president Brandt Tilis) and myself,” Canales said. “And the coaches included. We have to evaluate all the guys whose contracts are up and are free agents, and see what our next best move is.”
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, right, celebrates a touchdown with Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, November 9, 2025. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Here’s what else you should know from clean-out Sunday in the Panthers’ locker room.
Ejiro Evero will ‘100%’ be Panthers’ defensive coordinator next year
While Canales wasn’t ready to divulge anything about the futures of free agents, he was committal about his defensive coordinator.
When asked if the plan is for Ejiro Evero to return to Carolina in 2026, Canales didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely, 100%,” Canales said.
Technically, Evero is not a “free agent.” A team spokesperson said that Evero signed a contract extension before the 2025 season; a league source confirmed that Evero is under contract through the 2027 season.
Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero on Friday, May 9, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
That decision has aged well. Fresh off a difficult 2024 — one in which the Panthers gave up the most points in NFL history — the Panthers made enormous strides as a defense in 2025, which included allowing 23 points per game (17th in the league) and a Top 15 passing defense (only allowing 209 yards per game), according to Team Rankings.
Canales said that building up the defensive fronts was huge for this 2026 season.
“The system is in place,” Canales said. “When we execute the system, it works. I coached against it for years and watched it continue to grow right in front of our eyes. And where it becomes special is our coaches’ abilities to help the guys connect with the guys, and then they gotta take it. …
“I saw a group playing really good ball down the stretch.”
Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper (left) speaks with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero (right) during practice on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in Charlotte, NC. The Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, January 10, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Derrick Brown’s greatest reward for the 2025 season
Derrick Brown doesn’t mince words off the field. He’s also not one for subtly on it.
So, when Brown was asked about being left out of accolades like the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams after a career year, the 2020 first-round pick didn’t hold back.
“If you don’t think I’m a good player, then I’ll see you on Sunday,” Brown said. “I mean, that’s the best I can tell you. If you don’t respect me, then s—, you’re gonna be in for a long game.”
Despite the lack of recognition for a season that saw him swat seven passes (most among defensive linemen this season) and produce five sacks (another career high), Brown is grateful he made it through the year unscathed. After missing all but one game in 2024 due to a meniscus injury, Brown has taken solace in his health throughout a bounce-back year for the defense.
Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown receives a pat from head coach Dave Canales as he runs off the field after a loss to the Rams, 34-31, in the Wild Card playoff game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
“It’s one of those things where I look back on it — last year I didn’t get this opportunity to play ball,” Brown said. “So just to be able to come back, the greatest reward I have from this year is being able to play all 18 games and be available for this team. The personal aspect of it — yeah, you want personal awards, but I think there are so many people that trash on this team and this organization, that being able to make the playoffs was the greatest reward for me and this season. We want to bring playoff football back here.
“And people say, ‘You’ve got to leave this organization to be able to ever go win.’ So just to be able to slap those people in the face, that is what it is for me. My play is always going to be what it is. S—, if you don’t respect it, you better respect it come Sunday. … Yeah, it pisses me off (not being acknowledged), but somebody’s got to get it on Sunday.”
With Evero set to return, Brown and the defense will have built three years of equity in the system heading into 2026.
The NFC South was competitive throughout this past year’s campaign, but the longevity of the Panthers’ defense scheme could go a long way in Carolina’s hopes for repeating as division champs.
“I think the division is a good division,” Brown said. “Every single time we play, it’s a hard football game. It’s the running the ball — you’re not going to see as much passing, I feel like. I call it, like, old SEC football. Right? Like we know what we’re going to get. Going against Bijan (Robinson), Bucky (Irving), (Alvin) Kamara, there are so many different dynamic backs in this division that you’ve got to be prepared for them to run the ball. It’s an exciting division to be a part of. It might not be flashy at all times, but I feel like we have great opponents in this division.”
Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown waves to fans as he runs off the field after a loss to the Rams, 34-31, in the Wild Card playoff game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Austin Corbett punctuates whirlwind season with uncertain free agency ahead
Austin Corbett’s time in Carolina has been anything but ordinary. And 2025 might have been the most whirlwind campaign of his four-year tenure in Charlotte.
Corbett started the season as the top center on the depth chart. He suffered a notable knee injury in Week 2 and then was replaced by Cade Mays for the bulk of the season. When Corbett returned from injured reserve in Week 6, he was asked to start at left guard for a game before taking a reserve role. He eventually filled in as a starting center and right guard to end the year.
When asked about his future, Corbett was clear that he wanted to be back in Charlotte next season. But he also understands life in the NFL.
“(I) want to be back,” Corbett said. “This is why I came here: to be a part of something, to change the culture. … To be in the Bank last night, and to see what that was, that’s why I wanted to come here.”
He added: “I’m grateful for this whole organization. And we’ll see what it is.”
Back in December, Corbett said that he and his family wanted to settle down in Charlotte. But he feels like he has a lot of football left in him. He views himself as a starter, and as a pending free agent, he could look to go elsewhere for a better opportunity on the field.
After four years of personal and team struggles, the Panthers finally made it to the postseason. If Saturday was Corbett’s final game in process blue, he’s appreciative that the journey ended with a division title, he said.
Carolina Panthers center Austin Corbett during a May practice in Charlotte. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Corbett is one of four impending unrestricted free agents on the offensive line. Mays is set to enter the opening as a starting-caliber center. Brady Christensen is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, while swing tackle Yosh Nijman could be looking for a starting job after filling in admirably, at times, for Taylor Moton and Ickey Ekwonu, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon on Saturday against the Rams.
With his future up in the air, Corbett is grateful to finish a season healthy for the first time in four seasons.
“The biggest thing this year is that I’m fully healthy going into this offseason,” Corbett said. “This is the first time since 2022 when I’m not working on anything. That’s just where the happiness comes from. I was talking to my wife last night, and there’s just a stress release of making it through a season.
“Had a little hiccup there. But we’re good. So enjoying that. The rest of the process will take care of itself.”
Panthers center Austin Corbett warms up before the game against the Bills the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, October 26, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Bryce Young excited for 2026
Of the eight quarterbacks picked No. 1 since 2011, all have had their fifth-year options picked up. The stars seemed to point that way for Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, too, down the stretch of the season.
Yes, there hasn’t been any news on that front yet. NFL teams have until May 1, technically, to exercise the fifth-year option for players selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft — so that news could still be a long way away. (Young’s fifth-year option would amount to $26.5 million in 2027 if exercised, according to Over The Cap.)
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young celebrates scoring a rushing touchdown during the the Wild Card playoff game against the Rams at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
But the general sense in the Panthers facility seems to be that Young has done enough to keep his future in Carolina bright. Canales indicated as much Saturday after the playoff game — calling Young brilliant against the Rams — as well as on Sunday.
As far as Young himself is concerned, he’s happy to continue building a program he considers “special” in Carolina.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Young said. “Again, it’s going to be about the work. … Everyone will get their time away from it now, but it’ll all (come to light) when we all come back in the offseason, and use (the playoff loss) as motivation.”
He added: “We gotta continue to build, continue to grow, and I’m excited for this group to do that.”
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales, left, reaches out to embrace quarterback Bryce Young, right, following the teams 34-31 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, January 10, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Quick hits from Panthers coach Dave Canales
Here are some other notable things Canales said not addressed above:
Canales said, as of now, he plans to continue to call plays on offense. He will evaluate his concepts and consider making tweaks to the playbook.
Canales praised a trio of undrafted rookies: kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, cornerback Corey Thornton and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott. “Those guys worked their tails off to have opportunities, seized some opportunities, which gives me a lot of faith that they’ll continue to progress and that goes in with the entire rookie class.”
Right guard Robert Hunt sustained a pectoral injury during the loss to the Rams. He was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday to see the extent of the injury. Hunt returned on Saturday following mid-season biceps surgery. On Sunday, Hunt noted that he was 0-3 on the season in the three games he played.
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales, left, points to wide receiver Jalen Coker, right, following a touchdown during action against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, January 10, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
This story was originally published January 11, 2026 at 2:47 PM.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
Ekwonu, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, is set to play on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract in 2026. He has been eligible for a contract extension since the conclusion of the 2024 season, but the team picked up his fifth-year option last offseason instead.
Carolina Panthers tackle Ikem Ekwonu sits on the team bench during action against the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 8, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Ekwonu was replaced by veteran Yosh Nijman against the Rams. Nijman had previously filled in for Ekwonu for two starts at left tackle during the regular season. Nijman is a pending unrestricted free agent in March.
With Ekwonu likely to undergo a long rehabilitation process, the Panthers will need to figure out if they want to keep Nijman as experienced insurance or look for a help at left tackle elsewhere. Starting center Cade Mays and versatile veterans Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen are also set to become free agents in 2026. Christensen has been on the shelf since the midway point of the season with an Achilles injury.
According to Over the Cap, the Panthers are projected to have the third-highest offensive line payroll in the NFL in 2026. That $86.6 million total is without Mays, Nijman, Corbett and Christensen factored into the math.
This story was originally published January 11, 2026 at 12:49 PM.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
With the playoff campaign closed, it’s time to immediately turn to the future. Before the Panthers can upgrade their roster in free agency and the draft, they must consider their incumbent depth chart.
Carolina Panthers long snapper JJ Jansen, left, high-fives Carolina Panthers punter Sam Martin on Nov. 9, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
The team has 19 unrestricted free agents this offseason. Carolina also has to make decisions on four pending restricted and two pending exclusive-rights free agents.
The Charlotte Observer has listed all 25 players with predictions on their 2026 whereabouts:
Panthers’ 2026 unrestricted free agents
The notable names
G/C Austin Corbett
Corbett has had a whirlwind tenure in Carolina over the past four years, but this season was probably the most complicated stretch. He started the year as the top center before sustaining a knee injury that cost him four games on injured reserve. When he returned from the injury, he was supplanted by Cade Mays. However, Corbett was used as a utility fill-in starter at left guard, center and right guard for the remainder of the season. He was also named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year winner this year, so he’s clearly valued internally by some pretty important decision-makers.
2026 prediction: Tests market but returns on a 1-year deal if he can’t find work elsewhere.
OL Brady Christensen
Christensen continued his work as the ultimate utility blocker in 2025. However, his season was cut short when he sustained an Achilles injury in Week 8. Christensen is valuable to the Panthers because he can play all five spots and knows the blocking scheme as well as anyone. Given his injury setback, he’s likely to be a cheap option for returning depth.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal.
The Panthers’ Rico Dowdle carries the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ SirVocea Donnis, left, and Tykee Smith during the 2025 season in Charlotte. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
RB Rico Dowdle
Dowdle’s season got off to a slow start. However, Chuba Hubbard’s calf injury in the second quarter of the season opened things up for Dowdle to emerge. After back-to-back breakout games against the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, Dowdle supplanted Hubbard as the primary runner in the backfield. Coming off a career year, look for Dowdle to cash in on his productive season. It’ll be hard for the Panthers to pony up the dough with financial and draft-pick investments in Hubbard, Jonathan Brooks and Trevor Etienne.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere for a bigger pay day and better role
Long snapper JJ Jansen
Jansen is nearing the end of his career, but he rarely makes mistakes and is a better option than shuffling through undrafted rookies to find his replacement. If Philip Rivers can get a deal to play quarterback at age 44, Jansen should be fine signing another contract to snap footballs between his legs at age 40.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal.
P Sam Martin
Martin proved to be a shrewd addition for the Panthers in 2025. He was consistently good at flipping the field and showed no signs of slowing down. Again, why take a chance on a rookie struggling when you’re trying to be a long-term contending team?
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal.
Panthers center Cade Mays warms up before the game against the Bills at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025, in Charlotte. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
C Cade Mays
Mays is an interesting case. This same staff cut him to make room for a waiver-wire claim before the start of the 2024 season. He then got re-signed off the New York Giants’ practice squad when injuries occurred, and he played quite well as a starting center. He subsequently re-signed with the team this past offseason but lost the center competition to Corbett, whom Mays eventually replaced for the majority of the season. Mays should test his options on the open market, but he isn’t a lock for a huge contract given his inconsistencies on the Panthers’ depth chart over the past four years.
The Panthers might want to draft a starting center with all the money they have tied up in the offensive line in 2026 ($86.6 million).
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere for a long-term deal.
WR David Moore
Moore spent most of the season on injured reserve with an elbow injury. He’s been a notable veteran leader in a young wide-receiver room, and Panthers coach Dave Canales loves him. He told The Processing Blue podcast in July that he didn’t want to play for anyone besides Canales at this point in his career. Moore is experienced, cheap and knows the offense, so he’s likely back on a short-term pact.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year minimum deal to compete in training camp.
Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom gets hyped-up after a tackle that prevented the Dolphins from gaining yardage during a 2025 game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
LB Christian Rozeboom
Rozeboom had a rough start to the season. He was originally signed as a depth linebacker but was forced into the starting lineup following the abrupt departure of Josey Jewell before training camp. He was asked to be the signal-caller, and that responsibility seemed to hinder his ability to read and react. Once that responsibility was given to Trevin Wallace in Week 5, Rozeboom excelled. Still, it’s more than likely the team looks to upgrade the position this offseason.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
S Nick Scott
Scott was a 17-game starter in 2025. While he wasn’t necessarily a star on defense, he also wasn’t a consistent liability either. Scott is a notable special-teams contributor, and he’s shown he can be relied on with heavy defensive snaps. The Panthers will probably look to upgrade over him at starting safety, but the Ejiro Evero favorite still makes sense as a veteran depth presence if the coordinator sticks around.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal.
Panthers outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum runs toward the action during the game against the Chiefs in 2024 at Bank of America Stadium. MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
OLB D.J. Wonnum
Wonnum started 15 games in his second season with the Panthers. He produced four sacks in eight games in 2024, but he was held without a sack until Week 15 this season (finishing with three), despite a huge uptick in playing time in 2025. The Panthers certainly need to get better production at outside linebacker, and Wonnum will probably need to find a new home this offseason.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
Other contributors
LB Krys Barnes
After spending the first half of the season on the practice squad, Barnes became a fixture of the linebacker depth chart. He was mostly used on special teams, beyond a pair of spot starts due to injuries. Barnes was a healthy scratch for the playoff loss.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
S D’Anthony Bell
The Panthers claimed Bell off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks during the final week of the season. He will become a free agent in March without much of a foundation in Carolina.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
Panthers outside lineman Jake Curhan warms up before the game against the Bills the game at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025, in Charlotte. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year minimum deal.
CB Akayleb Evans
Evans was a season-long contributor on special teams as one of the team’s primary gunners on punt coverage. He will probably look for a better opportunity for playing time elsewhere.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
OLB Trevis Gipson
Gipson was one of a handful of players poached from another team’s practice squad this season. He played quite a bit during the second half of the season, but he probably won’t be in the team’s long-term plans.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
CB Damarri Mathis
The Panthers claimed Mathis off waivers from the Denver Broncos following the cut-down deadline. He tore his ACL during his first week with the team and never appeared in a game after going on season-ending injured reserve. If Evero remains in Carolina, Mathis could make sense as training camp depth on a prove-it deal.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year minimum deal.
Carolina Panthers tackle Yosh Nijman during a drill on May 27, 2025. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
OT Yosh Nijman
Nijman has served as the Panthers’ swing tackle for the bulk of his two years in Carolina. He’s proven to be a much better right tackle than left tackle when called upon to start. Starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu injured his knee against the Rams, and Canales said he expects the ailment to be significant in nature.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal based on Ekwonu’s availability with knee injury.
CB Robert Rochell
Like Gipson and Curhan, Rochell was signed off another practice squad to fill in as emergency depth. He played on special teams when active.
2026 prediction: Heads elsewhere.
S Isaiah Simmons
The former Clemson standout signed with the practice squad in December and immediately received playing time on special teams. He was eventually promoted to the 53-man roster and played in the final five games of the regular season. Simmons will probably be back as a safety and special-teams contributor this summer.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 1-year deal.
Restricted free agents
The Panthers have the option of tendering their pending restricted free agents to gain control of their rights. If the Panthers offer a first-, second- or original-round tender to a restricted free agent, that player will need to obtain an offer sheet from an opposing team to leave Carolina.
The Panthers will have the right to match the offer sheet and retain the player. If the Panthers choose not to match the offer sheet, the opposing team will obtain the player but will be forced to give up the value of the tender to the Panthers.
Players who entered the league as undrafted free agents can be given “right of first refusal” tenders, allowing the current team to match any offer sheet. However, if the offer isn’t matched, the incumbent team receives no compensation in return.
ILB Claudin Cherelus
A favorite of the coaching staff and front office, Cherelus has developed into a quality backup linebacker during his three years in Carolina. He is a notable special-teams contributor, and the team seems to be encouraged by his defensive upside. He started four games at linebacker during the second half of the season. Calf and ankle injuries unfortunately curbed a few of his opportunities down the stretch. Still, he started in the Panthers’ first playoff game since 2017.
2026 prediction: Re-signs to 1-year deal without receiving a tender.
Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Incoom celebrates after a play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 21, 2025, oat the Bank of America Stadium. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
2026 prediction: Re-signs to 1-year deal without receiving a tender.
TE James Mitchell
Mitchell earned a job out of training camp with a strong summer. But with three guys ahead of him on the depth chart, he only played in a handful of games.
2026 prediction: Won’t receive a tender and will look for a better opportunity elsewhere.
DE LaBryan Ray
Ray has played in more games for Evero over the past three years than any other defender in Carolina, including Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn. If he comes back, which seems likely, it won’t be on a pricey restricted tender.
2026 prediction: Re-signs to 1-year deal without receiving a tender.
Exclusive rights free agents
Exclusive-rights free agents can only negotiate with their current teams. If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.
WR Jalen Coker
The Panthers and Coker should consider reaching a two-year deal this offseason. With Coker currently set to become a restricted free agent next year, it would make sense for both parties to avoid a potentially awkward negotiation in 2027. If Carolina is thinking about the big picture, giving Coker the extra year, perhaps valued as a first- or second-round tender, is just getting ahead of a formality. He’s been a strong passing option for Bryce Young in each of the past two seasons. Coker is officially the team’s No. 2 wideout heading into the 2026 offseason after his phenomenal performance against the Rams.
2026 prediction: Re-signs on a 2-year deal to avoid restricted free agency next offseason.
Panthers special teams players Brycen Tremayne, second from left, and Bam Martin-Scott, second from right, rush the field during the game against the Dolphins on Oct. 5, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
WR Brycen Tremayne
Tremayne made the roster after a surprising first summer in Charlotte. He went on to become a top-tier special-teams contributor throughout the season. He also stepped up in several games as a receiver, especially as the offense tried to figure itself out in the first half of the season.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
Princely Umanmielen sat at his locker in complete silence, still in his full uniform, roughly 30 minutes after the final whistle blew on Saturday.
The rookie arrived in Charlotte in May. He hadn’t lived through the doldrums of the Carolina Panthers’ past handful of years. He didn’t know the pain of finishing with a 2-15 record in 2023. Furthermore, he also didn’t have to deal with the lukewarm 5-12 campaign of 2024.
The Panthers finished the season at 8-9, won a division title for the first time since 2015, and hosted their first home playoff game in a decade. These are glory days compared to the Matt Rhule and Frank Reich eras — but Umanmielen was frustrated and angered to lose a game that the Panthers led, 31-27, with 2:39 left in the fourth quarter.
“My biggest takeaway is probably that we’re a playoff-caliber team,” Umanmielen told The Charlotte Observer. “And in the future, we just gotta try to dominate teams. I feel like this season we’ve had close wins and a lot of close losses. I feel like we’ve got to get to a point where we dominate people.”
Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott, center, makes the tackle on Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, left, during Saturday’s action at Bank of America Stadium. Scott was give a penalty on the play. The Rams defeated the Panthers 34-31. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford sliced up defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s unit in the final two minutes.
With three timeouts, which ended up not being used, the Rams had plenty of time to target the middle of the field against prevent defense. Stafford completed 7 of 8 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s one of the best at it,” said linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who won a Super Bowl with Stafford in L.A. “And I wish we could have made a play. It’s one that’s going to sting, but at the end of the day, I’m extremely proud of each and every guy on that field.”
The trip to pay dirt came on a 19-yard heave to tight end Colby Parkinson, who skied over safety Tre’von Moehrig for the game-winning score with 38 seconds remaining.
The Panthers couldn’t pressure Stafford, and he sprayed the field with tosses to his top targets like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The touchdown throw from Stafford to Parkinson was the type of toss an MVP candidate like Stafford makes when it matters the most.
But was the defense too conservative?
“My philosophy, period — and I’ve learned this in my years in the league — just play what’s called, man,” said safety Nick Scott, who had a would-be interception broken up early in the fourth quarter. “I don’t have opinions on what Coach (Evero) calls. He’s in this position for a reason, and it’s my job to get communication across the board and make sure we execute. Guys were playing hard, everybody on that drive was doing their job, and getting guys down on the ground. They were attacking the middle of the field just because they had timeouts and plenty of time, so they didn’t have to attack the sideline. Just trying to play the call and get guys down on the ground and make ‘em earn everything.”
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown blocks a kick by Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford during Saturday’s playoff game at Bank of America Stadium. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
The final defensive series didn’t feature two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn. The Panthers’ No. 1 coverage defender was knocked out of the game when he collided with a pair of teammates on a pass breakup on the penultimate defensive drive.
He was replaced by special teams contributor Akayleb Evans, who played just 51 defensive snaps in the regular season. Horn was ruled out with a concussion in the middle of Stafford’s onslaught of successful passes.
With Stafford targeting the middle of the field, Evans was asked to come in cold.
“We’d like to execute better, but honestly, I don’t feel like we have any regrets,” Evans said. “We put our best foot forward, and it just didn’t go our way.”
Following the game, the Panthers’ locker room was somber.
Rozeboom and fellow linebacker Claudin Cherelus lamented the growth the team and the defense had made in 2025. Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade and outside linebacker Trevis Gipson quietly put their focus on the upside of the future.
And cornerback Mike Jackson, who had four pass breakups and an interception in the playoff game, dismissed criticism of Evero’s play-calling on the defense’s final drive.
“At the end of the day, nobody gave us a chance,” Jackson said. “It really don’t matter. The people that’s questioning, let me see what you can do. Some of y’all credentials, and how you know coverage. How you know when to blitz and when not to blitz. They got armchair quarterbacks, but at the end of the day, you’re not doing this for a living.”
Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (26) and Mike Jackson (2) take down Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua in Saturday’s game against the Rams at Bank of America Stadium. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
The Panthers’ defense gave up 31 points. Stafford threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Rams running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for 102 rushing yards on 24 carries.
While Carolina produced one takeaway, it also only produced one sack.
“I don’t really have words for it,” Cherelus said. “I watched it, felt like we were executing how we were supposed to. It’s just tough. They have a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, they’ve got good players, they made some plays they needed to, they had some time. At the end of the day, it just comes to a full game. It’s not just a final drive-type of thing. I don’t blame anyone on no single play, besides myself. I’m hard on myself.”
As the Panthers enter the offseason, they’ll evaluate every aspect of the organization.
Will the sting of the defense’s final drive linger to the point it leads to change? The unit improved across the board throughout the regular season, but the final memory is typically the one that sticks, fair or not.
It shouldn’t come down to one game or one series. But in the whirlwind world of the NFL, anything is possible, especially after an early exit from an otherwise uplifting campaign.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers, in danger of being blown out early, were tied with the Los Angeles Rams in the second half of their NFC Wild Card game at Bank of America Stadium.
A field goal by Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald on the first possession of the second half tied the game at 17. The Rams led 14-0 early after some early Panthers’ miscues, but it was Los Angeles that made mistakes late in the first half to allow Carolina back in the game.
In the franchise’s first home playoff game in a decade, the Panthers needed a clean, mistake-free performance. In the first half, the Panthers didn’t measure up. Carolina failed to convert on fourth down on its first possession, had a pass intercepted and, late in the half, muffed a punt.
But a defensive stand, subsequent touchdown run by quarterback Bryce Young late in the second quarter and Rams’ mistakes pulled Carolina to within 17-14 at halftime.
Young’s 16-yard scramble reignited the crowd, which had been largely subdued after several Carolina miscues.
The Panthers went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 45 on the game’s first possession, but were stopped when quarterback Bryce Young’s pass fell incomplete.
Los Angeles took advantage of the excellent field position and scored four plays later on a 14-yard touchdown pass from star quarterback Matthew Stafford to All-Pro receiver Puka Nakua. Nakua had three catches for 40 yards in the 45-yard drive.
The score quieted the crowd at Bank of America Stadium, which just moments earlier had been in a frenzy after former quarterback Cam Newton’s pre-game banging of the team’s “Keep Pounding” drum.
Young was intercepted late in the first quarter on a pass intended for Jalen Coker, giving Los Angeles possession at the Carolina 48. Nacua ended the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 14-0.
But the Panthers responded with a 65-yard touchdown drive to cut the deficit in half. Young had three consecutive completions of 15, 14 and 22 yards with rookie standout Tetiaroa McMillian catching the final two.
The Rams tacked on a field goal to extend its lead to 17-7, and it appeared the Panthers might have a chance to cut into the deficit late in the half. Los Angeles, after Stafford missed an open Davante Adams down the left sideline, punted from their own territory.
But punt returner Trevor Etienne muffed the punt, and the Rams recovered. Carolina held the Rams as Stafford, the MVP favorite, threw incomplete on fourth down – and quickly drove 81 yards for its touchdown. A 28-yard pass interference penalty and a 37-yard pass from Young to Coker ignited the drive.
Nacua dropped a long pass with 15 seconds left in the half that could have given the Rams a touchdown.
Carolina offensive linemen Ikem Ekwonu and Robert Hunt were injured in the first half. Ekwonu (knee) was ruled out for the rest of the game, while Hunt, who just returned to the lineup, is questionable with a pectoral injury. Hunt returned in the second half.
Stafford and Nacua were named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press on Saturday. Nacua was a unanimous selection among the 50 voters. The Panthers are the only NFL playoff team without a first- or second-team selection.
It is the first home playoff game for the franchise since a Jan. 24, 2016 victory against the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. That is Carolina’s last playoff win. The Panthers lost in the Super Bowl and also lost at New Orleans on Jan. 7, 2018, their last playoff game.
Matt Wohlfarth was stuck in standstill traffic on Interstate 77, commuting home from work, when he turned up the radio dial.
It was late April 2024, and he was listening to WFNZ sports talk radio. He was tired. It’d been a long few days. But something radio host Kyle Bailey said made his ears perk up — something Wohlfarth wasn’t expecting; something, up until that point, he’d never heard on a live broadcast.
He heard his name.
“He says, ‘Man, I just wish Matt would call up right now,’” Wohlfarth says, recounting the story to The Charlotte Observer. “So I got on my phone, and I called him.” Wohlfarth smiles. “And you can hear the guy in the background going, ‘No way, really?’ You know? So anyway, I called up, and they started asking me questions and …”
Wohlfarth is telling this story on Friday in the back room of the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, the sports bar just off Morehead Street that sits just over a mile walk away from Bank of America Stadium. He sits like he owns the place. And he does. He’s wearing a black T-shirt with blue letters on the front spelling out his restaurant name and also the phrase “Keep Pounding.” He’s a bit sweaty — he had to help direct a delivery of 40,000-plus plastic cups a few minutes ago — but he’s happy, excited, relaxed.
He’s telling this story for a bunch of reasons. After all, by the time he’d called into Bailey’s show on that April 2024 afternoon, he’d already become the talk of the town. His restaurant, on night one of the 2024 NFL Draft, had been paid an unexpected visit by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper. The billionaire had dropped in to inquire about the sign in the restaurant’s front yard that read: “Please Let The Coach & GM Pick This Year.” Then came a reportedly pleasant but poorly timed interaction — one that now rests in Tepper and Panthers lore.
This sign, directed at Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and regarding the 2024 NFL Draft, sits outside Dilworth Neighborhood Grille in Charlotte. Alex Zietlow Charlotte Observer
At the time, it was a big deal. What started as a local story blossomed into a national one. The Charlotte Observer wrote about Tepper’s visit that night. TV stations followed in the morning. ESPN even got a hold of it eventually, too. Wohlfarth had said that the Panthers’ six straight losing seasons had amounted to “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in lost revenue, and so the message out front was frustration encased in good-humored fandom. Immediately it struck a nerve with the Carolina Panthers’ fan base — effectively calling Tepper “a meddling owner” — and as a result, Wohlfarth had compelled the franchise’s most powerful figure to walk into his restaurant and figure out what the deal was.
That’s what Bailey, the radio host, wanted to ask Wohlfarth about on that April day, with Wohlfarth in standstill traffic. So he did. And for a moment, Wohlfarth thought, that was that.
Days and weeks and months after that unexpected Tepper visit, though, something funny happened. People wanted to start to know what Wohlfarth thought — not just as a restaurant owner, but also as a fan. He had the fan credentials, after all. He’d been a Charlotte resident since 1985 and a Panthers season-ticket holder since the team’s first season in 1995.
Pose all this to Wohlfarth — the fact that his restaurant has become such a home for Panthers fans — and he’ll smile and start another story: the full story of the sign that stands in front of the restaurant.
He begins it by saying that the sign that Tepper saw … well …
“That wasn’t even my favorite.”
The owner of Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, Matt Wohlfarth, stands next to the sign that he changes each week and has gradually watched become a voice for Carolina Panthers fans and the Charlotte community. Alex Zietlow
The Dilworth Neighborhood Grille sign’s mythology
If you actually walk up to the sign, the one staked out on a patch of pine straw that welcomes people into the restaurant’s parking lot, you’ll notice how fragile it is. It’s just a few thin slits of plywood bonded together, with legs that lean the sign on some thick brush that prevent it from toppling over.
And at the time that this sign was built, this fragility illustrated everything.
Wohlfarth moved from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte in 1985. He went to UNC Charlotte in pursuit of a degree in architecture. He loved building things. So when he went into business with his friend and helped run the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille 21 years ago, Wohlfarth volunteered to build everything. He built the floors, sanded the tables, put in the ceiling tiles, mounted the televisions, did all the electrical and plumbing and insulation work.
All was great until 2020. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. People stayed home. Restaurants everywhere struggled. Bartenders and wait staff lost jobs. And so once the restaurant reopened — even in a limited capacity — Wohlfarth had an idea.
The restaurant used to be a multi-use complex — a bowling alley downstairs and a skating rink upstairs — and so it had this wonderful old-fashioned movie-theater-style marquee above its door. With the removable marquee letters, Wohlfarth would build two signs: one facing Morehead Street travelers heading eastbound, one facing Morehead Street travelers heading westbound. One exclaimed that the Grille was open; the other was a “running scoreboard” of how many employees were allowed back to work given COVID restrictions with a strong message underscoring it: “Support Local.”
A sign outside Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. A local commercial real estate firm filed a rezoning petition on the site of the longtime restaurant. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
That was the first time the sign hit the news. The next? That arrived when Morehead Street was undergoing construction, in 2021-23 making it difficult for people to visit the restaurant. The sign was used to complain about that. More poking fun.
While the $41 million storm drainage project’s second phase is not yet complete, all four lanes of the road near Dilworth Neighborhood Grille have reopened. Julia Coin jcoin@charlotteobserver.com
Then in 2023?
“After that, there was a possibility that maybe it just goes away,” Wohlfarth said of the sign.
The popular Dilworth Neighborhood Grille on East Morehead Street is assuring customers that there are no immediate plans to leave or close after a rezoning petition was filed for its property. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
But then came an idea to comment on fun parts of the city. The sports, maybe.
Then he put up a sign about the Panthers — and the rest is history.
“The difference between 2015, where they go 15-1, and the year we went 1-15 is Earth-shattering,” Wohlfarth said of how the Panthers’ performance impact his business. “Not just sales, but profit. And not only the finances, but the morale, which also leads into finances. The turnover rate and all that. There have been servers or bartenders or managers who wanted to work here because it’s so fun during the games. Well, if the games aren’t fun, then that’s one less reason to work here.
“So it was a message. Because, I mean, yes, no one’s gonna listen to just me. But I certainly can add to it. And/or start it. And it turns out a lot of people did listen.”
For Dilworth Neighborhood Grille owner Matt Wohlfarth, business instantly picked up once the barricades fell down. Julia Coin jcoin@charlotteobserver.com
What Matt Wohlfarth — the fan — has to say before Panthers playoff game
The Dilworth Neighborhood Grille is having a good year. The year 2025 marked the second-busiest the restaurant has been in all 21 years of the restaurant’s existence, Wohlfarth said — second only to 2022, the year after COVID restrictions settled. Wohlfarth even expanded in 2025 and opened a restaurant in Fort Mill.
With the Panthers being good enough to make the playoffs — has that helped sales?
Dilworth Neighborhood Grille owner Matt Wohlfarth. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
Wohlfarth will shrug, and will talk glowingly about the Panthers whenever he can. But he also won’t go that far. Some games featured packed houses, certainly. But many haven’t. Wohlfarth said that the fact that sports gambling becoming legal in North Carolina helped a lot with his business — one that forks over $30,000 annually to DirecTV and has to have other streaming platforms to show all sorts of games, the reality of being a sports bar.
But one day, the Panthers’ improvement will seep through to the sports bar’s bottom line. The team needs to keep improving, keep building, keep winning. And they will, Wohlfarth said.
In the meantime, the Dilworth restaurant owner has stories: of former Panthers star Tre Boston hosting live meet-and-greets in the restaurant’s basement; of visits from current Panthers like coach Dave Canales and offensive lineman Taylor Moton; of his employees serving Baker Mayfield on the patio just when the quarterback learned he’d gotten released.
Wohlfarth also has ideas for new signs. The sign outside, as of Friday, says: “Home Field In The Playoffs, Just How We Planned.” As far as his favorite? That might just be the one in which he compared Tepper to the Cowboys owner: “Meddling owners never win. Run from Jerry Jones.”
A sampling of Dilworth Neighborhood Grille signs over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The sign is changed after each Carolina game to reflect what happened over the previous weekend. Charlotte Observer file photos
On top of ideas and stories, he has what every committed fan and restauranteur has:
Hope.
Ask him what the Panthers need to do to get a winning record next year — the Panthers, after all, are in the playoffs, yes, but are 8-9 — and you’ll see it. Wohlfarth starts spinning a web of possibility, of scenarios in which the Panthers could win the next two games in the playoffs and clinch a winning record as it heads into the NFC Conference Championship game. He mentions the bad weather hurting the Rams’ high-octane passing offense. He cites the electricity that will be in Bank of America Stadium.
“And that’s just going to overwhelm everybody,” he says.
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
Jackson, an Illinois native, has moved easily between roles in theater, TV and film. This includes being in the original cast of Miranda’s “In the Heights” as Benny, the Disney movie “Moana” and the “Sex and the City” sequel “And Just Like That…” as Herbert Wexley. Jackson recently concluded a run on Broadway as Davis in the Alicia Keys musical, “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Christopher Jackson will sing the national anthem at the Panthers first playoff game since 2017 this Saturday. Boise
With Jackson on hand, Panther fans no doubt hope he can turn to the Rams and “teach them how to say goodbye” to their season.
From left, Leslie Odom; Jr., Phillipa Soo, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Christopher Jackson at the 2015 opening nights of the musical “Hamilton.” Jackson, who played George Washington, will sing the national anthem Saturday in Charlotte at the Panthers playoff game against the Rams. Neilson Barnard Getty Images
Award-winning journalist Adam Bell has worked for The Charlotte Observer since 1999 in a variety of reporting and editing roles. He currently is the business editor and the arts editor. The Philly native and U.Va. grad also is a big fan of cheesesteaks and showtunes. Support my work with a digital subscription
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are playing their first home NFL playoff game in almost a decade Saturday.
What You Need To Know
The Carolina Panthers will face the Los Angeles Rams Saturday in an NFL playoff game in Charlotte
Sonjia Howard and Jamanda Moore are Carolina superfans who attend every home game dressed up in elaborate outfits
Howard has been a fan since 1998 and says she dreamt the Panthers won the playoff game
Moore said if the Panthers can execute in the beginning they have a winning chance
The Panthers are facing the Los Angeles Rams, a team they beat in November, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.
Charlotte is buzzing as the city hosts the game on its home turf. This week, there were several events to celebrate before the game, including a pep rally and Sound the Drum Tour.
Members of the Carolina SuperFans United group who attend every home game wearing Panthers gear, masks, wigs and hats are excited to cheer on the Panthers.
Friday, Sonjia Howard was putting the final touches for her gameday outfit in her Panthers-themed craft room.
“A lot of times, if you put your own ideas and creativity into your own [out]fit, you’re going to come out looking like exactly the way you want to, and you’re going to feel proud because you did it,” Howard said.
Howard has been a Panthers fan since 1998.
“I’ve been through a lot of players and a lot of games, ups and downs, ebbs and flows. I’m sticking with them, my team,” Howard said.
In 2021, she became a superfan and is known as Pink Fan Fur. She attends home games and some away games sporting pink, blue, black silver and glittery outfits.
“We keep them energized,” Howard said.
In 2022, she retired from the military and moved to Charlotte because of the Panthers.
“I live in this state, the Queen City, North Carolina, to be a Panthers fan, that Panthers fan and go to these games,” Howard said.
Howard is looking forward to attend the Panthers playoff game Saturday. The last time the Panthers made it to the playoffs was in 2017.
“It’s very important that we make the playoffs because that’s what we do. We try to make it to the Super Bowl, and it’s very hard so I feel very happy that we did,” Howard said.
She’ll be sharing the excitement with Jamanda Moore, a new superfan known as Carolina Show Stopper.
“I kind of feel shaky a little bit because I know they want it. We want it, and this is our time to literally show up and show out, so I am ready. I’m ready to be pumped,” Moore said.
Moore said after a season of ups and downs, she believes if the Panthers execute in the beginning they can beat the Rams again.
“I feel like they have finally found their strengths, their weakness and actually just really believing in themselves,” Moore said.
Howard said she even dreamt the Panthers won.
“We’re going to be so freaking happy. We’re going to be so elated over the moon because I know once we beat the Rams, we’re taking it all the way to the house,” Moore said.
They plan to join other fans Saturday at a tailgate hosted by the Roaring Riot before heading to the game to cheer on the Panthers.
If the game doesn’t go their way, they still plan to continue supporting the Panthers next season.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
Ask Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle how he feels about how Tetairoa McMillan has played this year, and the 1,000-plus-yard running back will have a lot to say about his rookie teammate.
Ask Dowdle if McMillan should be named the NFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, though, and Dowdle will keep it short.
“I mean, I think he should get it,” Dowdle said Wednesday.
Why is that?
“Broke the Panthers’ rookie season franchise record,” he continued. “Think he was the only rookie to have over 1,000 receiving yards. So yeah, he’s well-deserving of that.”
Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan tries to elude Green Bay’s Quay Walker during the third quarter of Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field. Patrick McDermott Getty Images
The Panthers have already done a lot to make the 2025 season stick out. First playoff berth since 2017. First NFC South division title since 2015. Individual accolades have come as well. Cornerback Jaycee Horn earned his second-consecutive Pro Bowl selection. Quarterback Bryce Young now owns the single-game franchise record for most passing yards. Dowdle, himself, has Carolina’s single-game record for most yards from scrimmage, which he earned this year, too.
But if there’s been a beacon of consistency somewhere, it’s been with McMillan, the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft who has still floated above expectations. In fact, analytics website Pro Football Focus named him their Offensive Rookie of the Year on Wednesday. And according to most sportsbooks, as of Wednesday evening, McMillan is the runaway favorite to win the end-of-year award. FanDuel Sportsbook has him at -2,000. DraftKings has him at -1,000. The second-closest competitor is the Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson, who is at +5,500 odds, per FanDuel.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan catches a deep pass from quarterback Bryce Young during action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 16-14. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Saying McMillan has eclipsed expectations — even if he has from the outside — doesn’t necessarily resonate with him. McMillan said that he hasn’t met his own expectations several times this year, including after the team’s last win, against the Bucs at home.
Also? The individual accolades aren’t really a concern of his, McMillan said this week.
“Shoot, obviously it’s a blessing,” McMillan said of his offensive rookie of the year candidacy. “But I’m just glad, out of all things, that we were able to make the playoffs — that we got a chance at doing something great that hasn’t been done in Charlotte in a long time. So I feel like that holds a higher power than me being the favorite for offensive rookie of the year.”
Carolina Panthers Tetairoa McMillan celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
Tetairoa McMillan should run away with award, stats say
Take a close look at McMillan’s candidacy, and it’s all pretty straightforward.
McMillan, as Dowdle recited from memory, leads all rookies in receiving yards with 1,014. The closest candidate is Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka with 938 and tight end Tyler Warren with 817.
The only other rookies ahead of those yards from scrimmage are the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty (1,321 yards) and Henderson (1,132). Jeanty’s candidacy is hurt by a Raiders team in rough straits; Henderson, conversely, might be hurt by the fact he’s not the focal point of the offense — one orchestrated by MVP candidate and second-year QB from the Charlotte area, Drake Maye.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, left, and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan celebrate McMillan’s touchdown pass reception during action against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, October 12, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
McMillan owns the record for most regular-season receiving yards in franchise history by a rookie with 1,014 yards. The previous record was held by Kelvin Benjamin with 1,008.
And just to clear the air: Yes, McMillan needed 17 games to do it while Benjamin had 16. Then again, Cam Newton was his quarterback and threw for 3,127 yards that regular season; Young has only thrown for 3,011 yards. So from a percentage perspective of his quarterback’s passing yards, McMillan has the edge.
Still, if you asked McMillan this week, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound receiver still will point out a lot to improve in his game.
He’ll have some playful snark, too.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is, I may not have the luxury of getting as many calls like I used to in college,” McMillan said, two days after he was called for a controversial offensive pass interference penalty that, if not called, could’ve shifted the game’s tides in Carolina’s favor.
McMillan then turned sincere: “No for sure. It’s different. It makes me have to play my game differently. I just have to adjust to the league. And that’s fine. It’s totally fine.”
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 26: Tetairoa McMillan #4 of the Carolina Panthers warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images) Matt Kelley Getty Images
Here’s what else you need to know from Wednesday’s practice.
Robert Hunt still dropping hints on his availability Saturday
Several players showed up on the injury report this week. Defensive lineman Bobby Brown III (concussion) and linebacker Claudin Cherelus (calf/ankle) are among the two players who have logged limited participations this week in practice — and their attendance will be necessary for this defense to be at its best.
But if there’s one player everyone’s keyed in on, it’s Robert Hunt.
And Hunt, who’s been on the injured reserve with a biceps injury since Week 2 but has practiced the last few weeks, isn’t giving anyone any indication of his availability Saturday.
His most revealing answer, after a lot of prodding:
“My elbow is not going to be perfect,” Hunt said. “But I think I can compete with it, for sure.”
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, left, and guard Robert Hunt, right, embrace following the team’s 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Hunt continued: “So right now, I’m dealing with a bone inflamed, just from the surgery. … Pushing and all that is good. It’s just about how long I can stay in the football position, with people moving. That’s kind of the test. And the tests have been going well so far.”
How did being around the facility help your preparedness for a potential return?
“It kept me hungry,” Hunt said. “I’m excited for what’s about to happen Saturday. That’s what I wanted to be a part of. I was a part of it because I’m in the building, I’m on the team, but obviously I wasn’t playing.”
He then laughed: “I said this already: ‘I’m like the kid with the good grade, but I didn’t do (anything).”
The Panthers announced that every player on the active roster was a full participant at practice Wednesday — everybody besides defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who missed for a non-injury related reason (rest).
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and offensive guard Robert Hunt celebrate a touchdown during their preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium on Friday, August 8, 2025, in Charlotte. Lila Turner lturner@charlotteobserver.com
Quick hits
— Cornerback Jaycee Horn was asked about the possibility of Cam Newton, the iconic Panthers former quarterback, being a part of Saturday’s pregame festivities, namely as the “Keep Pounding” drummer. Horn’s answer: “I think it would be electric. It’s something that everybody would want to see, for sure. He means a lot to this organization, a lot to this city.”
— A stat to consider: Saturday will mark the 18th postseason game in Panthers history, with the franchise holding a 9-8 all-time record in the playoffs. That said, the Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2015 NFC Championship game. Moreover, the Panthers are 5-2 all-time in home playoff games.
— After releasing Demani Richardson on Tuesday, the Panthers announced Wednesday that they have re-signed the second-year safety to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 6:57 PM.
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
The Minnesota Vikings now know the teams they’ll be playing during the 2026 regular season.
The National Football League announced each team’s complete list of opponents on Monday, one day after the Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 16-3. Minnesota finished the 2025 season third in the NFC North with a 9-8 record.
The Vikings will battle all teams from the AFC East and NFC South, the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, along with their six divisional games against the NFC North.
Here’s a look at the team’s home and road opponents.
Home opponents:
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
Washington Commanders
Indianapolis Colts
Road opponents:
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New England Patriots
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
The team’s full schedule, including playing dates and times, will be released in the spring, the NFL said.
Next season will mark Kevin O’Connell’s fifth as head coach for the Vikings. He’s compiled a 43-25 record in 68 games with the team.
Minnesota will have the 18th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to take place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The Vikings said they’ve selected from that spot three times in franchise history, selecting defensive back Dewayne Washington in 1994, defensive end Erasmus James in 2005 and center Garrett Bradbury in 2019.
NOTE: The attached video first aired on Dec. 18, 2025.
The NFL announced the wild-card round slate of matchups on Sunday night. The clash between the Panthers (8-9) and the Rams (12-5) at Bank of America Stadium will take place on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on FOX.
Carolina previously played Los Angeles in Week 13 of the regular season in a 31-28 home win for the Panthers. The rematch will have a similar setting on Mint Street.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard carries the ball against Rams defenders Nate Landman (53) and Jared Verse on Nov. 30, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@heraldonline.com
The matchup will be the Panthers’ first home playoff game since the 2015 postseason. Carolina famously pushed all the way to Super Bowl 50 during that campaign.
The Panthers’ standing as the reigning NFC South champions entitled them to at least one home game. Carolina is slated as the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, so the only way the team would receive another home matchup in the postseason is if they made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game and the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles were all eliminated after the divisional round.
The Panthers’ 8-9 record is the franchise’s best outcome since 2017. The division title win has also curbed a four-year reign by the Buccaneers, and the NFC South crown (and playoff berth) is the first captured under the ownership of David and Nicole Tepper.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
A few minutes after it was set in stone that the Carolina Panthers were playoff-bound, one social media savvy Panthers rookie took to the internet.
He posed … a question.
“Might go buy a Falcons jersey,” outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen wrote on X. “Too far?”
If the rest of NFL media any indication, that’s not far enough.
The Panthers (8-9) moonwalked into the NFL postseason after the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. A Falcons victory was the last path the Panthers could take to the NFC South crown and a playoff berth — and they got it. Atlanta finished 8-9, causing a three-way tie among the Falcons, the Bucs and the Panthers for first place, and the Panthers came out on top after tiebreakers.
Such a turn of events led to a celebratory outpouring online, from fans to players to media personalities. Enjoy reading these several voices across the NFL below.
Princely Umanmielen (3) of the Carolina Panthers reacts after a fumble recovery during a Nov. 16, 2025 game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Jonathan Bachman Getty Images
Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis join Umanmielen in Panthers celebrating
The two Panthers’ offensive linemen kept it simple.
Carolina Panthers social media getting in on the action
Jonathan Stewart is talking ‘playoffs’
Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers’ all-time leading rusher, showed his live reaction to the Falcons recovering an onside kick and sealing the Panthers’ playoff fate: “And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. … Keep Pounding!”
Panthers fans having fun
Just some good vibes … “I think we ain’t done yet.”
Here’s a very inside-baseball joke featuring former general manager Scott Fitterer, who brought players to the Panthers and later made plays on Sunday to contribute to the Falcons’ win and thus Carolina’s playoff berth:
Many Panthers fans traveled to Atlanta to watch the consequential Falcons-Saints game in person. FOX caught some on its broadcast:
The Crown Club is one of the strongest and most resilient fan groups in the country — by virtue of supporting the Hornets. But the group showed some love to the Panthers after the Falcons’ win.
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
The scenario was simple: beat the New Orleans Saints, and the Carolina Panthers were in the playoffs. Lose, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would get the playoff bid. Beat the New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta would have their longest winning streak of the season (four). Lose, and the momentum that was building will be done, and another seven-win season will be in the books.
Falcons ended the season with a 19-17 victory and a sweep of their hated rivals.
Dear Carolina, you’re welcome.
With five minutes remaining in the game, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough took off running into Falcons territory. He had been playing a good game up to that point and was a threat on the ground and through the air. His next pass, however, became his team’s downfall. The pass was intercepted by Falcons defensive back Dee Alford and returned 59 yards into Saints territory. Zane Gonzalez’s 48-yard field goal with just under three minutes remaining in the game put Atlanta ahead by nine points. Game over.
The Falcons defeated the Saints 24-10 on November 23. During that game, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, a serious candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, passed for 243 yards with an interception while being sacked five times. Atlanta will finish the 2025 season among the top three teams in sacks and set a new franchise record with 55 sacks following a second-quarter sack by defensive back Dee Alford. But it was the Saints’ defense that got things started.
The New Orleans Saints (above) came into Sunday’s game in Atlanta on a four-game winning streak. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
New Orleans entered the game in Atlanta on a four-game winning streak, and a significant part of that success has been attributed to their defense. New Orleans defensive end Carl Granderson made an immediate impact on Sunday, sacking Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and picking off one of his passes during the first quarter.
Offense was a different story as the Saints got off to a much slower start than their defense. New Orleans was without its leading receiver, Chris Olave, and starting running back, Alvin Kamara. Both players have played well in Atlanta throughout their time with the Saints. The Falcons, however, had their top receiver, Drake London, back in the fold. Cousins found London in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the game to help give Atlanta a 7-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The 15-yard touchdown reception was London’s seventh of the season.
The Atlanta Falcons hosted the New Orleans Saints in the final home game and regular season game of the season. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The second successful Falcons offensive drive was an eight-play, 31-yard drive that included a couple of spectacular runs by Bijan Robinson. Those runs put Atlanta in position for a 40-yard field goal from kicker Zane Gonzalez and a 10-0 advantage.
Robinson only needed 237 yards to set a new National Football League single-season record for yardage from scrimmage. In just his third season, Robinson had already set a Falcons franchise record a week earlier.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The Saints got on the board with 5 minutes remaining in the first half when Shough scored a touchdown on a bootleg run from the 15-yard line. The extra point from Charlie Smyth made the score 10-7.
With two minutes remaining in the first half, the Saints’ offense failed to engineer a final scoring drive and put the ball back in the hands of Cousins and the Falcons with 45 seconds on the clock. Atlanta went into the half with the same score on the board.
The third quarter began with the Falcons forcing a Saints punt following a sack by Pearce, Jr. The rookie has 9.5 sacks this season to go along with 5.5 sacks by his fellow rookie Jalon Walker. The pair has more than lived up to the expectations that were placed on them during the offseason and preseason.
Scoring was minimal during the game. Atlanta took a 13-7 lead on a 51-yard field goal by Zane Gonazelz early in the third quarter and a 16-10 lead when Gonzalez made a 38-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
New Orleans managed to pull together another scoring drive with just over a minute to play in the game. Their onside kick attempt was not as successful.
Tampa, Fla. — The Carolina Panthers can clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 this weekend in a couple of different scenarios. Oddly enough, there’s a scenario where the outcome of their game versus Tampa Bay doesn’t really matter if the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints.
The best scenario is in their hands. Just a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would suffice and give Carolina the NFC South Division title and a playoff berth.
The Panthers visit the Buccaneers today at 4:30 p.m. in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium, where Carolina is 12-12 versus Tampa Bay all-time. If the Panthers were to clinch and go to the NFL Playoffs, this could be a return to form, according to all-time franchise leading rusher Jonathan Stewart.
“There’s a lot of good football being played right now (in Charlotte),” Stewart said.
Stewart was drafted to the Panthers in 2008 and spent 10 seasons in Charlotte, where he still resides. He’s seen the ups and downs as a player and as one of the team’s biggest supporters now in retirement. Stewart was also there in 2013 as a young Cam Newton helped led Carolina to a division title and a playoff berth for the first time in Newton’s career. From there, the Panthers won the division in 2014 and 2015, the first time the NFC South Divisional title went to one team in three consecutive seasons. Stewart believes that a playoff berth for this year’s team could end up barring a similar outcome.
“This offseason, it sets (the franchise) up for guys that want to be here,” Stewart told WRAL. “It sets them up to tell the differences of what’s the ‘Carolina Way’, what’s the DNA, what’s the standard.”
To get there, the Panthers must first make it to the playoffs. Here are some of the keys to a Carolina Panthers victory tonight, according to Stewart.
Offensive Keys:
Converting third downs
Scoring over 20 points
Having a balanced rushing attack
What J-Stew says: “You have to convert on third downs. Part of converting on third downs is converting on first downs. You can not have the three-and-outs, you can’t have the slow starts, you can not settle for field goals. Your defense is playing lights out, they’re playing as good as any defense is playing, so you have to help them out.”
Defensive Keys:
Make Baker Mayfield uncomfortable
Take the run away/make Tampa one-dimensional
Get off the field on 3rd down
What J-Stew says: “The Buccaneers are getting healthy and all it takes is for Baker (Mayfield) to feel good about his options. What Tampa has done a bad job of is putting everything on Mayfield’s shoulders or making him have to do too much. Take the run away, make them one-dimensional. I think (Tampa) could’ve leaned into the run more the last time they played.”
Scheduling 16 Division matchups for the final week of the regular season continues to fight the league. With only TWO of the fourteen playoff positions up for grabs which will be decided between the Ravens/Steelers Sunday night game as well as Panthers/Buccaneers (with some help from Atlanta) Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles will come into Sunday almost locked into the 3 Seed, but with a little bit of scoreboard help happening at the same time they play Washington could see them leap into the 2 Seed. A Lions win over the Bears would give the Eagles a need to compete against the Commanders, a team out for revenge from just two weeks ago.
A Vengeful Rematch
The decision to go for 2 points, putting the Eagles up 19 points late into the 4th quarter was the right decision. The Eagles had already missed two field goals, taking 6 points off the board of what ended as a 29-18 game.
The ever so clueless Dan Quinn, who hasn’t learned from his time in Atlanta. Part of the comical 28-3 Falcons Super Bowl loss. Or multiple years as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, giving up 48 points to a 7th seed Packers team in his last game on the sideline for “Americas team.”
Upset over the Eagles decision to go for 2, Quinn stated “If that’s how they want to get down, we’ll see them again in two weeks.” Feels very threatening for a Week 18 division opponent matchup. Which leads to the question.
Did Dan Quinn forget that the Eagles clinched the NFC East title with their Week 16 victory at Northwest Stadium?
The Commanders season was realistically over by their Bye Week(if not earlier) Sitting at 3-8, losing their franchise QB for weeks at a time, rushing him back from numerous injuries just to be sidelined again feels like something a desperate team would do.
Add in injuries to Tyler Biadasz, Marcus Mariota, Laremy Tunsil, Sam Cosmi, Trey Amos, amongst plenty of players like Zach Ertz, Marshon Lattimore and Austin Ekeler. The #1 thing the Commanders should be playing for on Sunday is draft position.
7th overall is a great place to be for a team that was only 22 points from punching their ticket to a Super Bowl less than 12 months ago.
If 17th year Josh Johnson is able to lead the Commanders to a nothingburger victory against Tanner McKee and what we should expect to be most of the Eagles backup & reserve players. Then I guess we can give Dan Quinn & Co. Their flowers of “only beating an Eagles backup QB” 2 years running.
(CNN) — It’s been a long 2025 NFL season so far with twists, turns, shocking injuries, surprising contenders and disappointing years from preseason favorites.
As we come off another intriguing week of action across the league and approach the end of the season, the playoff picture is becoming more and more clear.
With just one week of the NFL regular season left, who’s in, who’s out and who still has a shot at making a postseason run for a spot in Super Bowl LX and a chance to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Who’s in?
(All teams listed by current seeding in each conference)
AFC
1. Denver Broncos (13-3, 1st AFC West): The Broncos already qualified for the postseason but still beat the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs 20-13 on Friday. A win against the Los Angeles Chargers at Mile High in Week 18 will earn Denver top seed status in the AFC.
2. New England Patriots (13-3, 1st AFC East): New England will be lurking should Denver fail to wrap up the conference and the Pats will play the Miami Dolphins to close out the season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, 1st AFC South): The Jags are also still in the running for the first-round bye after beating the Indianapolis Coltsin Week 17. They now host the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
5. Houston Texans (11-5, 2nd AFC South): Houston’s sensational defense has fired the franchise into the postseason for a third straight year. The team confirmed its place in the playoffs with a 20-16 win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, 2nd AFC West): The Chargers will be happy to have already locked up a postseason spot as they face a motivated Denver squad in the final week of the regular season.
7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, 2nd AFC East): After losing in dramatic circumstances against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bills close out the year with a home game against the Jets having already secured their berth in the playoffs.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker hits Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High on December 21. Credit: Ron Chenoy / Imagn via CNN Newsource
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, 1st NFC West): After missing the playoffs in the last two campaigns, the Seahawks are back in the postseason and tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed after beating the Carolina Panthers 27-10 in Week 17. Seattle now faces the San Francisco 49ers in its last regular season game.
2. Chicago Bears (11-5, 1st NFC North): Da Bears haven’t made the postseason since 2020, so some celebration in the Windy City is merited, but Chicago has only made the playoffs twice since 2010 – and lost in the wild card round both times. After spending so many years in the proverbial wilderness, the team won’t be content with just making it. The Bears take on the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, 1st NFC East): The defending Super Bowl champions are back in the postseason to defend their title, but with hopes of a first-round bye now over, Philly may look to rest players ahead of a game against the Washington Commanders in Week 18.
5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, 2nd NFC West): After missing the postseason last year, the Niners are back and looking dangerous. Starting QB Brock Purdy is back and playing incredibly as they host the Seahawks in Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the conference at stake.
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, 3rd NFC West): The Rams round out an incredible NFC West, which has three teams in the playoffs. Los Angeles, though, suffered a surprise defeat against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 and closes out the regular season with a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, 2nd NFC North): The Pack lost to Baltimore in Week 17 but still secured the NFC seventh seed heading into the playoffs. Off the back of three straight defeats, Green Bay heads to Minnesota in Week 18 to take on the eliminated Vikings.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) scrambles with the ball in Monday’s win against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn via CNN Newsource
Who’s still got a chance?
AFC
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, 1st AFC North): The Steelers only had to beat the Cleveland Browns on the road last Sunday to secure their place in the playoffs, but blew the opportunity after losing 13-6. Pittsburgh now faces a winner-takes-all clash against its bitter rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 18. Pittsburgh currently has a 40% chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL.
9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8, 2nd AFC North): The Ravens had Super Bowl aspirations before the year kicked off with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and star running back Derrick Henry, but it all seemed to fall apart with Jackson missing significant time due to injury. But results went their way on Week 17 andthey beat the Packers 41-24. It all means that the NFL says the Ravens now have a 60% chance of reaching the postseason still.
NFC
4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, 1st NFC South): Carolina is still sitting first in its division despite losing to the Seahawks in Week 17. The Panthers still have a chance of reaching the postseason as they face a win-or-go-home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. The NFL says Carolina has a 72% chance of making it to the playoffs.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 2nd NFC South): The Bucs lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 and now everything hangs on the final game of the regular season against the Panthers. We’ll see what happens but the NFL gives Tampa Bay justa 28% chance of progressing.
The Carolina Panthers were given one more possible road to the playoffs on Monday.
The Atlanta Falcons upet the Los Angeles Rams, 27-24, on Monday Night Football in Atlanta. The Falcons jumped out to a 21-0 lead by halftime, but the Rams clawed their way back in the second half, eventually tying the game late in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Puka Nacua.
The Falcons on the ensuing drive set up kicker Zane Gonzales for the game winning field goal with less than 30 seconds left. The Rams were unable to drive down the field to tie the game, sealing the game for Atlanta.
How does this affect the Panthers’ playoff hopes?
The Panthers now have two possible roads to win the NFC South and secure the final playoff spot in the NFC.
The easiest of the two paths for the Panthers is to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Bucs two weeks earlier at home 23-20. The win would give Carolina not only a season-sweep of the Bucs, but a two-game advantage over Tampa with no games remaining, securing the division.
The second scenario requires help from a division rival.
If the Panthers lose on Saturday, they would need the Falcons to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. If that were to happen, the Panthers would win the division.
While all three teams would have a 8-9 record if the second scenario plays out, Carolina would hold the tie-breaker over Tampa and Atlanta due to a head-to-head records against each other.
Here is how the head-to-head records would shake out if scenario two happens:
Panthers: 3-1 vs. Bucs and Falcons.
Bucs: 2-2 vs. Panthers and Falcons.
Falcons: 1-3 vs. Panthers and Bucs.
The Panthers kick off against the Bucs at 4:30 on Saturday, while the Falcons kick off against the Saints at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers (8-8) will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) for the NFC South division crown at Raymond James Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The NFL announced the full slate of dates and times for its Week 18 schedule on Sunday. All 16 finale games had open-ended scheduling throughout the year, so the NFL could put its highest-stakes matchups on highlighted broadcasts to end the regular season.
The season finale in Tampa Bay will air on ESPN nationally (ABC locally).
The Panthers and Buccaneers have been on a collision course throughout the second half of the season. Tampa Bay, the reigning four-time division champion, has been on a free fall (losing seven of the last eight games), while Carolina has scrapped its way to a respectable .500 mark.
Carolina Panthers Jalen Coker braces for contact as Tampa Bay Buccaneers Benjamin Morrison makes the stop in a Dec. 21, 2025 game at Bank of America Stadium. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
The Panthers bested the Buccaneers, 23-20, in Week 16, and Carolina will look to close out a sweep on the road just two weeks later. A win or tie for Carolina would land them a division title, something that has eluded the Panthers since their last NFC South crown in 2015.
The Panthers — who lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 27-10, at Bank of America Stadium in Week 17 — haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017. A Week 18 win would clinch the first playoff berth and division title under owners David and Nicole Tepper.
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
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