Carolina Panthers

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Lore & Background

The NFL awarded the Carolinas its 29th franchise in 1993, and the Panthers began play in 1995 under founder Jerry Richardson. They reached the NFC Championship Game in their second season. The Panthers have won seven division titles and two NFC championships, advancing to Super Bowl XXXVIII after the 2003 season and Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season, losing both. The 2015 team finished 15–1, and quarterback Cam Newton was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. In 2025, Carolina won the NFC South with an 8–9 record and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, losing 34–31 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round.

In Their Own Story

The Week 11 showdown at Bank of America Stadium became the defining moment of the 2025 season. After falling behind 21–10 in the second quarter, the Panthers mounted a comeback fueled by Xavier Legette's 36-yard touchdown reception from Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan’s crucial scores. With just 16 seconds left in regulation, Atlanta tied the game at 27, sending it to overtime for the third time that season. In the extra period, Ryan Fitzgerald calmly drilled a field goal to secure a 30–27 win. This victory lifted Carolina to 6–5 and kept their playoff hopes alive, eventually leading to an NFC South title despite a final losing record. The game also highlighted Young’s evolution, as his 448-yard performance broke Cam Newton’s franchise single-game passing record set in 2011.

Reader's Guide

The Panthers first competed in the 1995 NFL season; they were one of two expansion teams to begin playing that year, the other being the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Panthers were put in the NFC West to increase the size of that division to five teams; there were already two other southeastern teams in the division, the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was named the first head coach. The Panthers played their first regular season game in Week 1 of the 1995 season. The team fell to the Atlanta Falcons 23–20 in overtime. After a 0–5 start, with three close losses, the Panthers won their first game in franchise history, a 26–15 win over the New York Jets. The team finished its inaugural season 7–9, the best performance ever from a first-year expansion team. They performed even better in their second season, finishing with a 12–4 record and winning the NFC West division, as well as securing a first-round bye. The Panthers beat the defending Super Bowl champions Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round 26–17 before losing the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers 30–13. The team managed only a 7–9 finish in 1997 and slipped to 4–12 in 1998, leading to Capers' dismissal as head coach. The Panthers hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert to replace Capers, and he led the team to an 8–8 record in 1999. The team finished 7–9 in 2000 and fell to 1–15 in 2001, winning their first game but losing their last 15. This performance tied the NFL record for most losses in a single season, and it broke the record held by the winless 1976 Buccaneers for most consecutive losses in a single season (both records have since been broken by the 2008 Lions), leading the Panthers to fire Seifert. One highlight from the loss-ridden 2001 season was the drafting of future franchise wide receiver Steve Smith. He was a third-round selection in the 2001 NFL draft by the team. After the NFL's expansion to 32 teams in 2002, the Panthers were relocated from the NFC West to the newly created NFC South division. The Panthers' rivalries with the Falcons and Saints were maintained, and they would be joined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers had the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft. The team selected future Hall of Fame defensive end Julius Peppers out of N

Did You Know?

• The Panthers played their inaugural 1995 season at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, while their Charlotte stadium was under construction.
• The franchise represents both North Carolina and South Carolina.
• In 2025, Carolina won the NFC South with an 8–9 record and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, losing 34–31 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round.