Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales studies the playbook in the fourth quarter agianst the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Insider suggests Carolina Panthers know they're not real contenders

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 11:20 AM ET

It’s the league’s 106th season, and Week 12 begins tomorrow night at Houston. The 5-5 Texans host the 7-3 Buffalo Bills in a clash of reigning division champions.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report takes a deep dive into the current postseason picture. “With seven weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL season,” explained Gagnon, “19 teams are either in a playoff spot or within a game of one. Basically, if you’re 4-6 or better, you're in it.”

Gagnon broke down each club and cited a reason for them being a contender and a pretender, and then delivered a verdict. When it came to the 6-5 Carolina Panthers, he offered one very strange explanation as to why they are a pretender.

In terms of Carolina being in the postseason mix, Gagnon stated “they’re 5-2 in their last seven games and have a shot at both the division and a wild-card spot as a result. In terms of being a pretender, he offered that “the offense disappears far too often, as Bryce Young still has a long way to go and the support isn’t great. The defense also has talent limitations, and they’ve loaded up on a weak schedule.”

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As for the verdict, Gagnon gave the Panthers a thumbs down, with this explanation for being a pretender. “Deep down, even the Panthers and their fans know this. It’s all about progress, and there has been plenty of that. This is a one-and-done wild-card team at best.”

That’s a curious comment. How do you figure that Dave Canales’s team doesn’t believe it’s a playoff contender? The team rose up after a 1-3 start and as Gagnon mentioned, won five of its last seven games. On Sunday at Atlanta and off a rough home loss to the Saints, Carolina rallied from a 21-7 second-quarter to upend the Falcons in overtime, 30-27.

Carolina has six wins, as do the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Canales’s team has won three straight road games, and have shown resiliency all season—especially after lopsided losses to the Patriots and Bills. If the Panthers truly “know” they are pretenders, they are certainly doing a very good job of pretending that they are very viable contenders.

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

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