Carolina Panthers

With just $9.8M in cap room, ranked 25th, and $24.6M in dead money weighing down the ledger, the Panthers are tight now but 36 expiring contracts point toward real breathing room ahead.

36 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Ten starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

This roster's top strength is its defensive front and secondary headlined by a 96-overall Derrick Brown and two Superstar cornerbacks and linebackers, while the SAM position, currently manned by a 69-overall starter, is the clearest weak spot.

• SAMmedium

  Claudin Cherelus is the starter at SAM but rates out at just 69 overall, making an upgrade at the position a genuine medium-priority concern.

• TElow

  Tommy Tremble holds the top TE spot at 72 overall, which is passable, but the depth behind him is thin and low-rated, warranting a low-priority addition.

• Clow

  Luke Fortner starts at center but checks in at 71 overall, and neither backup behind him grades well, making a low-priority upgrade worth pursuing.

• LSlow
• Plow

  Sam Martin is the starting punter but is entering the late stage of his career, making a low-priority succession plan sensible sooner rather than later.

• Vertical SpreadoffensivePassable

  Tetairoa McMillan's Superstar upside at WR and a developing Bryce Young give the offense the tools to run a vertical spread, even if the rest of the receiver depth is still growing.

• 4-3 Cover 2defensivePassable

  Derrick Brown as a dominant 4-3 interior anchor, backed by Devin Lloyd at MIKE and Jaycee Horn in the secondary, gives this roster a natural foundation for a Cover 2 scheme.

• 74Tershawn WhartonDTTershawn Wharton sits third on the DT depth chart behind Brown and Hunter, and while cutting him frees $8.0M, the $10.6M in dead money means the savings do not arrive immediately.Frees $8.0M · $10.6M dead
• 72Patrick Jones IILEDGEPatrick Jones II is the second LEDGE behind Nic Scourton and also logs time as a WILL backup, but at 72 overall his release frees $6.4M against just $3.7M in dead money, making him a credible cut.Frees $6.4M · $3.7M dead
• 55Feleipe FranksTEFeleipe Franks rates at just 55 overall and sits outside the active TE rotation, and releasing him frees $1.2M with only $50K in dead money, making him an easy cleanup cut.Frees $1.2M · $50.0K dead
• 64Stone ForsytheLTStone Forsythe is the third LT behind Freeling and Ekwonu at 64 overall, and his release frees $1.2M against $780K in dead money with minimal lineup impact.Frees $1.2M · $780.0K dead
• 64Jake CurhanRGJake Curhan sits third on the RG depth chart at 64 overall and carries zero dead money, so his release immediately returns $1.1M to the cap.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

Carolina is a defense-first franchise with a legitimate cornerstone in Derrick Brown and a promising young core around Tetairoa McMillan and Bryce Young. The defense rates above the offense, with Jaycee Horn and Devin Lloyd adding Superstar-trait depth in the secondary and at linebacker. The offensive line has some capable starters, but Taylor Moton is entering the late stage of his career at right tackle and will need a succession plan, and Damien Lewis also needs a long-term replacement identified within the next couple of seasons. Cap room sits at $9.8M, ranked 25th, with $24.6M in dead money complicating near-term moves, but 36 expiring contracts and a significant commitment drop after next season hint at meaningful flexibility on the horizon. The SAM position is the most pressing in-game weakness, and the team's ceiling in the short term will be defined by how quickly Bryce Young develops and whether the coaching staff can extract more from the receiving corps beyond McMillan.

The Carolina Panthers were awarded to Charlotte businessman and former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Jerry Richardson on October 26, 1993, as the NFL's 29th franchise, the league's first expansion since 1976, and began play in 1995 alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars. They played their inaugural 1995 home slate at Clemson's Memorial Stadium in South Carolina before moving into what is now Bank of America Stadium in 1996. Under first coach Dom Capers they went 7-9 in 1995 and 12-4 in 1996, winning the NFC West and reaching the NFC Championship Game in just their second season. The franchise's defining era arrived under head coach John Fox: two years removed from a 1-15 collapse in 2001, the 2003 Panthers rode a stout defense and QB Jake Delhomme to Super Bowl XXXVIII, a 32-29 last-second loss to the New England Patriots, and returned to the NFC title game in 2005. The second peak came under Ron Rivera, the winningest coach in team history, with three straight NFC South titles (2013-2015) culminating in a franchise-best 15-1 record in 2015, an MVP season for Cam Newton, and a 24-10 Super Bowl 50 loss to the Denver Broncos. Those two NFC championships remain the high-water marks, Carolina is one of a small group of franchises with multiple Super Bowl appearances and no title. After Rivera's 2019 departure came a long downturn: the Matt Rhule era, David Tepper's 2018 record $2.275 billion ownership purchase, and the 2023 trade up for QB Bryce Young at No. 1. The Dave Canales/GM Dan Morgan tandem, installed in 2024, engineered the 2025 turnaround.