2017 NFC Championship Game Appearance

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 lights at Bank of America Stadium hummed with the particular electricity of a home playoff crowd that believed. The Panthers had done the hard work—survived Seattle in the mud, outlasted Green Bay in the cold. The parking lot was full. The tailgates smelled of charcoal and anticipation. Cam Newton warmed up at the sideline, bouncing on his toes, the crowd chanting his name in a rhythm that felt unbreakable. Then the first drive ended with a punt. The second, a turnover. By the time the Falcons' first score crossed the plane, the noise in the stadium had shifted from a roar to a confused, uneasy murmur. By the third quarter, the Panthers' bench sat in a silence so complete you could hear the wind off the stadium roof. A single touchdown—barely a whisper of a score—was the only thing the Panthers could offer. Forty-eight points. The scoreboard glowed red-white, and the crowd, once electric, drained out in a slow, shuffling exodus that echoed through the concourses long after the final whistle. In the parking lot, a fan in a #1 jersey sat on the hood of his truck, helmet in his lap, staring at the darkened stadium and saying nothing at all.

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. 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, falling to the Atlanta Falcons 23–20 in overtime. After a 0–5 start, they 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.

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 Panthers reached the NFC Championship Game in their second season (1996).
• The 2015 Panthers finished 15–1, and quarterback Cam Newton was named NFL MVP.
• In 2025, the Panthers won the NFC South with an 8–9 record and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.