Jul 24, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks to the media after practice at training camp. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers listed among NFL's 'extreme long shots' to win first Super Bowl

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Twice a bridesmaid, never a bride. In their 30 years of taking the field, the Carolina Panthers have made a pair of Super Bowl appearances. They lost in heartbreaking fashion to the New England Patriots, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII, in Houston. A dozen years later, Cam Newton and company ran into a savage Denver Broncos’ defense and fell in Super Bowl 50 by a 24-10 score.

The Panthers are one of 12 NFL teams that has yet to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Four of those clubs—the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars—have yet to play on Super Sunday. The other eight are a combined 0-18 in that “Big Game,” including the two aforementioned Panthers’ setbacks.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report ranked those 12 teams without a Super Bowl win from the best to worst in terms of winning it all in 2025. He put Dave Canales’s revamped team at No. 10, with this analysis.

Carolina Panthers face long odds of winning Super Bowl LIX

“Now we hit the extreme long shots, starting with a rebuilding Panthers team that does have a potential franchise quarterback in Bryce Young. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has yet to fully establish himself as a reliable starter, though, and keep in mind the Carolina defense surrendered a league-high 31.4 points per game last season. It’s 2026 at the very earliest for these Panthers.”

Carolina’s disappointing defense was awful in 2024, but it also underwent a bit of a rebuild this offseason, and 2023 Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown appears to be back. That’s not to say there won’t be a bit of a learning curve early in 2025. On the other hand, Canales’s club is still very much a work in progress. Dethroning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as NFC South champions may be more reasonable subject matter as the Panthers hope to snap a seven-year streak of losing seasons.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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