CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Carolina Panthers get closer to Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, analysts are already measuring the team's strengths against the rest of the league's competition.
The bad news for Panthers fans is that most sites have the team ranked at the bottom of the league. The good news is the team can only go up from here!
The Panthers' perpetual placement in the league's cellar should come as no surprise. Carolina was the NFL's worst team in 2023 with a 2-15 record. The Panthers were outmatched in almost every contest and are starting over with a new regime in 2024 under head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan.
At least four outlets, NFL.com, ESPN CBS Sports, and Sports Illustrated, have the Panthers ranked last in the league before the season's first kickoff. These outlets mostly predict the Panthers will rise from this spot as the season progresses but are holding off until results show improvement.
"With new head coach Dave Canales running a more efficient system and with better blocking and playmaking talent at his disposal, the Panthers won’t run out the league’s most feckless offense again," NFL.com writers said.
"[The Panthers will] be in a lot of games, they’ll be incredibly competitive, and while they won’t make the playoffs, they will beat at least one or two of the teams that do," Sports Illustrated said.
Other websites are slightly more optimistic for the Panthers, with a high ranking of 29th by Pro Football Focus (PFF). Bleacher Report listed the Panthers 30th while Yahoo Sports ranked the team 31st.
"The team brought in a new playcaller, Dave Canales, as well as several new offensive linemen and weapons," PFF said. "Any substantial improvement on offense could at least get this team to the six-win mark."
The New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos are the only teams currently ranked below the Panthers in some of these power rankings lists. Carolina has an over/under win total of 5.5 games this year, similar totals to the Patriots, Giants, and Tennessee Titans.
The often-mentioned Canales heads into his first year as a head coach with the Panthers. He's the third head coach to hold the job to start the season in the last three years.