Why the Panthers' FREE AGENCY Approach Could Lead to Success in 2026

The Carolina Panthers surged over the back half of the 2025 season to score an unlikely division title, then went on to give the Los Angeles Rams a real test in the Wild Card round. Despite that, there isn't much optimism surrounding the Panthers heading into this season. It's the ultimate crossroads season for quarterback Bryce Young, and his performance will go a long way toward determining if last year was the start of something in Charlotte, or merely a blip on the radar. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview the 2026 Panthers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show
0:13 Offseason in 60 seconds
0:33 What are you most excited to watch?
2:56 "Tetairoa McThing"
3:54 Free agency signings
5:16 Devin Lloyd
7:54 What are you monitoring in the first month?
8:06 Panthers defense
15:19 Tetairoa McMillan
17:35 What’s keeping you up at night?
17:45 Bryce Young
25:53 What does success look like for this team?

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