Carolina Panthers absolutely blasted for being 'irrelevant' NFL team

The Carolina Panthers are not exactly one of the most popular NFL franchises, and while they have made two Super Bowl appearances since their inception in 1995, they don't have a whole lot of success to their name overall.

In spite of that, however, the Panthers are viewed as a sleeper team by some heading into 2025, thanks much in part to their strong showing during the second half of last season.

Don't tell that to Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports, though. Portnoy absolutely ripped Carolina while going over the New England Patriots' schedule recently (the Panthers will face the Patriots in Week 4 next season), basically saying most people wouldn't care whether or not they exist.

"Carolina Panthers - the most irrelevant franchise in football, nobody cares about them," Portnoy said. "They draft a quarterback, they bench a quarterback, he’s back. Panthers useless."

Obviously, a lot of what Portnoy does is exaggerated in a comedic tone, but as the old adage goes: there is generally a colonel of truth whenever someone makes a joke at someone else's expense.

While calling Carolina "irrelevant" is certainly a bit of a stretch, the Panthers have missed the playoffs seven years in a row and have posted just three winning seasons since 2009.

The good news is that Carolina plays in arguably the weakest division in football. The NFC South is not exactly the NFC North, so the Panthers may have a chance of making some noise next season. They also had a terrific offseason that has been widely praised.

We'll see if Carolina can prove Portnoy and the rest of its doubters wrong in 2025.