History of the Carolina Panthers

Did You Know?

• The expansion campaign combined a two-state political effort with a privately financed stadium plan based on permanent seat licenses (PSLs).
• In January 2024, the Panthers named former Carolina linebacker and assistant general manager Dan Morgan president of football operations and general manager.

Dom Capers era: 1995–1998

Bill Polian, the general manager, built the Panthers' first team using the expansion draft, free agency, and the 1995 NFL draft. He mixed veterans like John Kasay, Sam Mills, and Frank Reich with younger players, including rookie quarterback Kerry Collins, whom the team selected fifth overall after trading down from the first pick. Dom Capers, formerly the Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive coordinator, became the franchise's first head coach. Because their Charlotte stadium wasn't finished, the Panthers played home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

They debuted by beating fellow expansion team Jacksonville in the 1995 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, then lost their regular-season opener 23-20 in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons. After an 0-5 start, Carolina got its first regular-season win on October 15, defeating the New York Jets 26-15 after Mills returned an interception for a touchdown. The Panthers then won three straight, including a 13-7 road victory over the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers, making them the first expansion team to beat a reigning champion.

They finished 7-9, an NFL record for wins by an expansion team in its first season. In 1996, the Panthers moved into Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte. They added veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein, tight end Wesley Walls, linebacker Kevin Greene, and cornerback Eric Davis, and drafted wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Starting 5-4, Carolina won its final seven regular-season games to finish 12-4, going 8-0 at home and winning the NFC West on a tiebreaker over the also 12-4 49ers.

In the divisional round, the Panthers won their first playoff game, beating the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys 26-17 at home, then lost 30-13 to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field. Carolina missed the playoffs in 1997 and 1998.

John Fox era: 2002–2010

John Fox, formerly the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, was hired as the Panthers' third head coach on January 25, 2002, emphasizing running the ball and stopping the run. Carolina selected defensive end Julius Peppers with the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft; Peppers recorded 12 sacks in 12 games and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Panthers ended the 15-game losing streak carried over from 2001 and improved to 7–9, with their defense allowing the NFL's second-fewest yards and fifth-fewest points.

In 2003, Carolina drafted offensive tackle Jordan Gross and cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., and signed quarterback Jake Delhomme, running back Stephen Davis, and wide receiver Ricky Proehl. Davis rushed for 1,444 yards and eight touchdowns, while Steve Smith led the team with 1,110 receiving yards. Linebacker Mark Fields missed the season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma during training camp, and linebackers coach Sam Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in August 2003 but continued coaching during treatment; his pregame address before Carolina's wild-card game later became associated with the franchise's "Keep Pounding" motto.

Rodney Peete opened the regular season as starting quarterback, but Delhomme replaced him in the second half of the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars and led a 24–23 comeback win, becoming the starter the following week. Carolina won its first five games and finished 11–5, winning the NFC South and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1996. The team's close finishes, including five overtime games and 14 games decided by a touchdown or less counting the postseason, led to the nickname "Cardiac Cats".

In the wild-card round, Carolina defeated the Dallas Cowboys 29–10, then beat the St. Louis Rams 29–23 in double overtime in the divisional round on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme to Smith on the first play of the second overtime. In the NFC Championship Game, Carolina defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 14–3 at Lincoln Financial Field, with Manning intercepting three passes, giving the Panthers their first NFC championship and sending them to Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Fox era also included another NFC Championship Game appearance in 2005 and an NFC South title in 2008.

Ron Rivera era: 2011–2019

Ron Rivera, previously the defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, was hired as the Panthers' fourth head coach on January 11, 2011. With the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Carolina selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, and acquired tight end Greg Olsen from the Chicago Bears in July. Newton opened his career with consecutive 400-yard passing games, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for more than 400 yards in each of his first two games, and finished the season with a then-NFL rookie record 4,051 passing yards and a then-NFL single-season quarterback record 14 rushing touchdowns, earning Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Carolina improved by four wins to 6–10. Before the 2012 season, the Panthers introduced an updated logo and wordmark, the franchise's first logo update since entering the NFL. Carolina selected linebacker Luke Kuechly ninth overall in the 2012 NFL draft; Kuechly was named Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. After a 1–5 start, general manager Marty Hurney was fired on October 22, and the Panthers finished 7–9, extending their playoff drought to four seasons.

In 2013, the Panthers hired Dave Gettleman as general manager, whose first draft included defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. Carolina's defense allowed 241 points and 4,820 total yards, ranking second in the NFL in both categories. After a 1–3 start, Carolina won 11 of its final 12 regular-season games to finish 12–4 and win the NFC South; Rivera's increased willingness to attempt fourth-down conversions during the turnaround contributed to the nickname "Riverboat Ron".

The Panthers lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. After the season, Rivera was named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, and Kuechly was named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first Panthers player to receive the award. Carolina won three consecutive NFC South titles from 2013 through 2015. The 2015 team finished a franchise-best 15–1, Newton was named NFL Most Valuable Player, and the Panthers won their second NFC championship before losing Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos. Rivera was dismissed in 2019.

Coaching changes under Tepper: 2020–2023

From 2020 to 2023, the Carolina Panthers failed to reach the playoffs every year, a stretch defined by constant turnover at both head coach and quarterback. On January 7, 2020, the team hired Matt Rhule as its fifth full-time head coach. Just a week later, star linebacker Luke Kuechly retired after eight seasons with the franchise. Before Rhule’s first season kicked off, Carolina parted ways with longtime quarterback Cam Newton and brought in Teddy Bridgewater.

The Panthers also made history by using every single draft pick on defensive players, a first in the common draft era. They finished 5–11 for the second year in a row, and general manager Marty Hurney was let go that December. In 2021, Scott Fitterer took over as general manager, the team traded for quarterback Sam Darnold, and later re-signed Newton after Darnold got hurt. Carolina cycled through three different starting quarterbacks that year and dropped its final seven games, ending at 5–12.

A planned $800 million headquarters and practice facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina, halted construction in 2022 due to a dispute over public infrastructure funding. The project was scrapped, and a federal judge eventually approved a roughly $100 million bankruptcy settlement. In July 2022, the Panthers acquired Baker Mayfield, and he, P. J. Walker, and Darnold all saw time under center that season. That August, former Panthers linebacker and coach Sam Mills was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame posthumously.

After a 1–4 start, Carolina fired Rhule, who left with an 11–27 record, and promoted defensive pass game coordinator Steve Wilks to interim head coach. Later in October, the team traded running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for four draft picks. Under Wilks, the Panthers went 6–6 and stayed in the hunt for the NFC South title until Week 17, ultimately finishing 7–10 and missing the playoffs for a fifth straight year. In January 2023, Carolina hired Frank Reich, the franchise’s first starting quarterback from 1995 and its first head coach with an offensive background. Reich was fired before the season ended, and the year closed with a franchise-worst sixth consecutive losing season.