Carolina Panthers

With only $11.5M in room (rank 29 of 32) and $24.6M in dead money on the books, Carolina is one of the tightest cap situations in the league and has very little margin for error this offseason.

29 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Seven starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Eight picks in the current draft, including three first-rounders and a fourth-rounder acquired from the Vikings, give Carolina unusually strong resources to address multiple roster holes at once.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Jets, this draft
• Acquired: Round 4 from Vikings, this draft
• Traded away: Round 5 to Vikings, this draft

The roster's clearest strength is its defensive interior and linebacker group anchored by Derrick Brown and Devin Lloyd, while right defensive end is the weakest spot on the depth chart, ranked dead last among starters league-wide.

• REDGEhigh

  The starting right defensive end ranks 32nd among starters and 25th in depth, making it the single most urgent roster hole to address this offseason.

• SShigh

  Nick Scott is a twilight-era starter ranked 27th at his position, and the depth behind him offers little security, putting strong safety near the top of the priority list.

• Cmedium

  Luke Fortner holds the starting center job but ranks 24th at the position, and with only Sam Hecht behind him the interior needs a meaningful upgrade at some point.

• 74Tershawn WhartonDTTershawn Wharton is the third DT on the depth chart behind Brown and Hunter, and cutting him frees $8.0M against $10.6M in dead money, a cost worth weighing given the team's thin $11.5M cap room.Frees $8.0M · $10.6M dead
• 55Feleipe FranksTEFeleipe Franks sits at the bottom of the tight end depth chart as a 55 overall, and releasing him frees $1.2M against only $50K in dead money, making it essentially a free roster spot.Frees $1.2M · $50.0K dead
• 64Stone ForsytheLTStone Forsythe is the third tackle on both the left and right side depth charts at 64 overall, and cutting him recovers $1.2M while carrying just $780K in dead money.Frees $1.2M · $780.0K dead
• 66Kenny PickettQBKenny Pickett is the backup quarterback at 66 overall behind Bryce Young, and releasing him frees $1.2M against $2.8M in dead money, a modest savings that may be worth accepting to clear the roster spot.Frees $1.2M · $2.8M dead

Carolina is a team in transition with a credible defensive core built around Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn, and Devin Lloyd, but the offense is still finding its footing behind Bryce Young. Young carries a Star dev trait and is 25 years old, meaning his development window is real but not guaranteed, and the system needs more around him. Tetairoa McMillan is already an 87-overall Superstar receiver at 23 and is the clearest reason for optimism on that side of the ball. The offensive line is a patchwork, with Rasheed Walker starting at left tackle, Taylor Moton entering the late stage of his career at right tackle, and center ranked near the bottom of the league. Cap space is limited at $11.5M this season and only modestly better at $14.3M next year, so roster construction has to be surgical. The right defensive end spot is a genuine weakness with no established starter, and strong safety is similarly thin. If Young takes a step forward and the team addresses REDGE and SS either in free agency or through the draft class this cycle, Carolina has the defensive pillars to compete for a wild-card spot within two to three seasons.

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.