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 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.
December football in the NFL can be dramatic and wonderful, but Carolina Panthers fans have almost forgotten that over the past eight seasons.
Since 2017, the Panthers haven’t made the playoffs. Since 2017, we’ve usually been talking about NFL Draft position and holiday plans by the time we get to December. But on Sunday, as the Panthers edged Tampa Bay, 23-20, in a gripping cliffhanger, we saw what the end of the season can look like when the home team is still in the fight.
Carolina (8-7) took control of the NFC South over Tampa Bay (7-8) Sunday by getting some inspired play from quarterback Bryce Young and rookie safety Lathan Ransom. Young made one big play after another and led a winning field-goal drive deep in the fourth quarter; Ransom picked off Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield to clinch the game.
As Panthers head coach Dave Canales said of Ransom’s interception at the Carolina 30 with 42 seconds left and the Bucs trying to tie or win the game: “We got one, and it was the right one.”
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales holds his arms wide open to hug members of his team following their 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
This victory wasn’t enough, though. While this felt like a milestone game for a Panthers fan base that has been so often disappointed since the team’s last playoff appearance back when Cam Newton was the quarterback and Luke Kuechly patrolled the middle, there is still work to be done.
Carolina now can win the NFC South — and the accompanying first-round home playoff game in mid-January — one of two ways:
1) Carolina beats Seattle (12-3) and Tampa Bay loses to Miami (6-9) on Dec. 28.
Or, if there is any other outcome next Sunday …
2) Carolina must beat Tampa Bay again, but this time in Florida, in the Week 18 season finale.
So this isn’t done by any means, but that doesn’t detract from what a game Sunday was. This stadium has seen louder crowds over the years, and even this season has had some comparable ones. But for the past several seasons, we’ve never seen quite the same combination of game significance and fan buy-in.
“Shout-out to the fans,” Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown said. “That sh– was rocking in here today. … Lot of black and blue, less of red than I’ve seen before.”
A Carolina Panthers fan follows the instructions to get loud as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face third-and-long during action on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Or as Canales put it: “It was electric. Bank of America Stadium was a special place. Black towels waving. All black uniforms. The whole thing. It felt right. It felt exactly right.”
It didn’t feel right the entire day — this was a back-and-forth game that included five lead changes. Young was huge for Carolina, playing a turnover-free game and finding Tetairoa McMillan for a 22-yard score just before halftime and JT Sanders with a 6-yard, third-quarter TD that sounds pedestrian but was his best six seconds of the game. Young skipped out of a near-certain sack by two Bucs, kept the play alive and located Sanders in the back of the end zone. Canales called that Houdini act “miraculous.”
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs off the field smiling to head coach Dave Canales following the team’s 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
And Young was doing that on a gimpy right ankle — the same one he keeps re-injuring. This time it came due to friendly fire, as right guard Austin Corbett stepped on Young while Young took a snap from center and tried to drop back.
Corbett was funny and apologetic about this afterward. When I asked him if he knew immediately he had stepped on Young, he said he had.
“Felt bad,” Corbett said. “Not great. A lot of ‘goshdangits’ and ‘oh shoots.’ But I checked on him. He’s a tough son of a gun, and I’ll buy him dinner here for an apology. … Everybody when he was coming out (of Alabama) is just like: ‘How’s he gonna be able to handle these hits?’ And unfortunately, you don’t plan for a size 17 from your own guy stepping on you. But he’s tough. And just — I’m sorry, Bryce.”
Young said afterward when asked about the injury: “We’re all playing through something this time of the year.”
As for the game itself, in which Young led the Panthers to yet another game-winning march keyed by his 34-yard dime to Jalen Coker on Carolina’s last march, followed by a 48-yard field goal with 2:20 left from rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald: “Moments like that, it’s like where else would you rather be?”
It was Young’s 12th career game-winning drive, the most in the NFL since 2023 and the second-most by a QB under age 25. Only Justin Herbert, with 13, has more.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, left, is congratulated by quarterback Bryce Young, right, after catching a touchdown pass during action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
It was also Fitzgerald’s fourth game-winning kick of the season; his role in the Panthers’ surprising season is significant, as it has been for a number of other rookies — Ransom, McMillan and edge rusher Nic Scourton among them.
Said Young: “That rookie wall that people talk about, you don’t see that from our guys.”
The Panthers lost a game in very similar circumstances last week at New Orleans. But this time they came out ahead in a field goal game thanks to Ransom — called for a critical 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness in the fourth quarter last week that helped set up a Saints game-winning field goal — intercepting Mayfield’s final pass of the day.
Carolina Panthers safety Lathan Ransom, center, celebrates his interception of a pass by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield with his teammates on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
“I understand that the game is not won or lost by one play,” Ransom said, “but people behind their phones are going to have their own opinions. I just heard all the noise — listened to it and used it as fuel for this game.”
It was the first time the Panthers had beaten Mayfield as the opposing QB — he had been 5-0. On the play, a good rush got Mayfield on the move, and he made the sort of throw he frequently did during his inept stint with the Panthers — behind his receiver at an important moment.
At Tampa Bay, Mayfield hasn’t been inept at all. He’s been … well … ept. But in this game he was held to 145 yards passing. He hurt the Panthers mostly with his legs (49 yards rushing) but not enough to keep Tampa Bay from losing for the sixth time in the past seven games.
Said Mayfield: “Too many penalties on offense today. Just keep shooting ourselves in the foot and got to finish with seven in the red zone instead of three. Same story, different day.”
For the Panthers, though, this is a different story — similar to one told long ago, but nearly forgotten given the years that have passed.
Carolina’s fans have aged since that last playoff berth. But they were forgiving of their team Sunday, for this was one for the ages.
This story was originally published December 21, 2025 at 7:21 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
“Sean Payton is an outstanding leader and Super Bowl champion with a brilliant offensive mind. He shares our commitment to winning championships for Broncos Country and we’re excited to welcome him as our new head coach,” Broncos Owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement.
Payton coached the Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 and led the team for 15 years before stepping down as head coach after the 2021 season. Because Payton was still under contract with New Orleans, a trade was required for the Broncos to obtain Payton’s services.
“It is rare in any sport to hire a head coach with Sean’s credentials and we appreciate the first-class manner in which the Saints approached this process,” Penner said.
The details of the trade, as announced by the Saints, include Denver sending its 2023 first round draft pick and 2024 second round pick to New Orleans in exchange for Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third round pick.
“I was excited for us, I’m excited for Sean,” Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland said Wednesday.
“I’m in charge of the draft, so more draft picks for our staff and our team. That’s exciting. So, I’m looking forward to getting to work a little bit more in the first round. I thought it was really good compensation.”
Payton will replace Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before completing his first season as an NFL head coach after guiding the team to just four wins in 15 games. Denver finished the 2022 season 5-12.
The Broncos will introduce Payton as the team’s 20th head coach at a press conference Monday.
Going from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to spoiling Tom Brady’s homecoming, San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has almost seen it all following Sunday’s 35-7 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 22-year-old Purdy outdueled Brady, throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy also added a rushing touchdown. With his family inside Levi Stadium to witness his first start, the FOX broadcast showed Purdy’s father becoming emotional following his first touchdown pass.
Selected with the last pick of this year’s draft out of Iowa State, Purdy earned himself the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant,” but was thrust into the fray last week against the Miami Dolphins after starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot.
After the game, Purdy called it “surreal” to be playing on the same field as Brady.
“Just standing there, like ‘man that’s Tom Brady,’ talking to guys and dapping guys up and stuff,” Purdy told reporters with a huge smile on his face.
“For him to just have respect for what I did today was pretty cool, I’m not going to lie. Being a little kid, watching that guy kill it throughout all these years, win Super Bowls, and then to be able to just even give him a high five or whatever at the end, I thought that was pretty cool.”
Purdy also mentioned the importance of having his family there and their never-ending support.
“Throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they’re the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you. They believed in me when I was the last draft pick and all that stuff.”
Brady struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with 253 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
The 45-year-old Brady complimented Purdy’s performance after the game, saying he played “really well.”
“Threw a lot of good balls,” Brady told reporters. “Hung in there in the blitz and they did a good job, they did a really good job.”
Brady, who is from San Mateo, California, also had his family on hand Sunday but added he wished the team could have done a better job.
“Love having everyone here,” Brady said. “Nice for my family to come close. I think they had a lot of people from the neighborhood come. It’s not going to change the outcome of the game, unfortunately.”
Brady requested 100 tickets for Sunday’s game for friends and family, FOX sideline reporter Erin Andrews said prior to kickoff.
The 49ers improved to 9-4 with the win while the Buccaneers fell to 6-7 on the season.
San Francisco has a quick turnaround as they are scheduled to travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Thursday night. Tampa will host the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers starting cornerback Donte Jackson will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon in Carolina’s 25-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the news.
Jackson had started nine games this season with 30 tackles and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. Jackson has started 60 games during his five-year career with the Panthers and has 14 interceptions.
The Panthers are expected to start Jaycee Horn and C.J. Henderson at cornerback moving forward. Both are former top-10 draft picks.
The Panthers (3-7) visit the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) on Nov. 20.
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Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called late Sunday night to offer him the head coaching position.
A former two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his X’s and O’s.
But the TV analyst’s only coaching experience was a three-year stint at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, where he led the team to a 20-16 record with three playoff appearances.
Irsay’s decision stunned people internally and around the league, though his affinity for Saturday was known throughout the organization. Saturday played 13 seasons for the Colts, made the Pro Bowl six times, helped them win a Super Bowl and is a member of the team’s Ring of Honor.
Critics immediately went after Irsay for hiring an inexperienced former player instead of elevating someone from the coaching staff, which is typical during in-season firings. Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley previously served as a head coach in Jacksonville from 2013-16. Senior defensive assistant John Fox spent 16 seasons as head coach in Carolina, Denver and Chicago, and led the Panthers and Broncos to Super Bowl appearances.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Irsay’s decision “a head-scratching slap in the face to every coach on that staff” in a post on Twitter.
Saturday’s hiring also didn’t sit well with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which fights for equity and inclusion in pro . The NFL has seven minority head coaches, including Carolina Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks.
“The Rooney Rule is the only universal hiring policy used by the NFL to promote fairness and diversity,” The Alliance said in a statement. “However, (Monday’s) news in Indianapolis illuminated a gap in the league’s stated objective. If the spirit of the rule is to expand opportunities, we believe that it must be consistently applied, even in the hiring of interim positions.”
Irsay and the Colts didn’t have to follow the Rooney Rule requirements for interviewing minority candidates because Saturday replaced Frank Reich during the season. The team will have to fulfill those requirements after the season when seeking a permanent hire.
“We’re following the Rooney Rule to a ‘T.’ I really look forward to the interview process at the end of the season,” Irsay said.
This wasn’t the first time Irsay went after Saturday, who is a paid consultant for the team and was working as an analyst at ESPN.
“Now understand, we’ve tried to hire Jeff a couple times,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “We tried to hire him in 2019 as the offensive line coach and we tried to hire him again this year — just didn’t work out. The timing didn’t work out. I spent a lot of time with Jeff — like I have with a few of the ex-players here, and it doesn’t take long to figure out that he’s got real leadership in him, real special in that regard. For this eight-game stretch and where we’re at, we thought he was going to be a really good fit for us.”
The Colts (3-5-1) are headed nowhere and Matt Ryan’s benching for inexperienced and overwhelmed quarterback Sam Ehlinger indicates the team has prioritized draft positioning. Reich began each of his five seasons in Indianapolis with a different quarterback, so ensuring a top draft pick to select a potential franchise QB would be a wise strategy.
That leaves Saturday in a can’t-lose position.
If he somehow finds a way to lead the Colts to a winning record or even a 4-4 mark over the last eight games, it would be quite an achievement given the state of the team.
If the Colts lose enough games to end up with one of the top QBs in the draft, Saturday would have helped set the team up for potential future success.
Irsay made a bold, outside-the-box move that opened him up for scrutiny and criticism. It’s clear he doesn’t care about public perception.
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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The Carolina Panthers have confirmed running-back Christian McCaffrey will be traded to the San Francisco 49ers, pending a physical exam, in exchange for a host of draft picks.
According to NFL.com, the deal will see the Panthers receive a second, third and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft, as well as a fifth-round pick in 2024.
It comes at a time when the Panthers are looking to rebuild the roster and center it around a host of emerging young talent.
McCaffrey has enjoyed an impressive and lengthy stay at the Panthers, joining as a first-round pick in 2017.
His best year came in 2019, when he led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,392 and he ran a career-best of 1,387 yards.
Injuries in 2020 and 2021 have limited his playing time since then but the 26-year-old has remained relatively healthy this year, ranking 12th in the NFL in carries (85), 13th in rushing yards (393), 31st in targets (43) and 19th in receptions (33).
The franchise fired head coach Matt Rhule earlier this month with the team struggling for form, prompting speculation about McCaffrey’s future.
The Panthers thanked the running-back in a tweet on Thursday, writing: “Thank you, Run CMC.”
He will return to the Bay Area where he attended college at Stanford, coming runner-up in the Heisman Trophy in 2015.
McCaffrey may play a minor role for his new team as the 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are considering trading 2019 All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey if they get something significant in return, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because no trade is imminent.
It’s unclear how many other NFL teams have inquired about McCaffrey, who has been productive this season after missing 23 games over the previous two seasons with various injuries.
The Panthers are 1-5 this season and have struggled to find stability at the quarterback position.
Earlier this week the Panthers traded Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals for two late-round draft picks after he was involved in a sideline argument with an assistant coach and sent to the locker room.
The Panthers are not expected to have a fire sale, despite having lost 12 of their past 13 games.
McCaffrey is one of the few bright spots on the league’s 32nd-ranked offense.
He has 670 yards from scrimmage, which ranks fourth in the NFL behind only Saquon Barkley, Tyreek Hill and Nick Chubb. McCaffrey and Chubb are the only players in the league with five games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
McCaffrey said Wednesday that he’s trying to stay focused on Sunday’s game even as trade rumors swirl around the 2017 first-round draft pick.
“That’s out of my control,” McCaffrey said. “I’m trying to control everything I can control. Right now I’m a Carolina Panther and giving it all to this place.”
When asked if he would like to be kept in the loop regarding trade talks, McCaffrey responded, “if they keep me in the loop, great. If not, it doesn’t matter. To me I am focused on playing against the Bucs this weekend and doing everything I can to prepare for them.”
McCaffrey did not practice Wednesday as that is his normal rest day.
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TAMPA, Fla. — A boy ran onto the field and was tackled hard by a security guard in the second quarter of Tampa Bay’s game against Atlanta on Sunday.
A woman who identified herself as the child’s mother told The Associated Press the boy is 10 years old. A police officer later told the AP the boy is older than 10, but he couldn’t release his information because he’s a juvenile. The officer said the mother has several children and was confused about which one jumped onto the field.
Tampa Police Department spokesman Eddy Durkin said the boy was issued a civil citation and given a notice to appear in court.
The incident occurred while the Buccaneers were lining up for an extra point after Leonard Fournette’s 1-yard touchdown run gave them a 6-0 lead.
Last Monday night, a protester waving a device emitting pink smoke ran onto the field during the San Francisco 49ers’ home game against Los Angeles and was flattened by Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner.
The protester filed a police report after being subdued by Wagner.
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