Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Carolina Panthers
Defector
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Some people are fans of the Carolina Panthers.
But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Carolina Panthers.
This 2026 Defector NFL team preview is for those in the latter group.
Read all the previews so far https://defector.com/tag/wyts-2026" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">here.
Your Team: The Carolina Panthers
Your 2025 record: 8-9, but not just any old 8-9.
This the best 8-9 in the whole NFC South, making the Panthers division champs despite having a losing record—the bad smell that comes with its own deodorizer.
Only five teams have ever achieved such a feat, and the Panthers are two of them.
They also had the third-worst point difference of any division winner ever (minus-69), so the only luck they could claim as their own was their location.