The Carolina Panthers’ 2024 season will go down as one of the most difficult campaigns in franchise history. Finishing with a 2-15 record, the Panthers found themselves at the bottom of the NFC South and nowhere close to competing for a playoff spot. But while the season was a nightmare for the Panthers and their fans, there was one silver lining: the team’s performance secured them the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, where they selected wide receiver Travis Hunter, one of the best young talents to enter the league in recent years. Fast forward to Week 13 of the 2025-2026 season, and the Panthers have shown significant improvement, sitting at a 7-4 record with a dynamic offense and a much-improved defense. However, questions linger: Was the 2024 season truly just a disastrous year, or did the Panthers intentionally tank to set themselves up for success in the future?
In this article, we will explore the Panthers’ 2024 season, the drastic changes that followed in 2025, and the evidence for and against the theory that the team was engaged in a strategic tank. By examining their performance before and after the turnaround, we can better understand whether the Panthers were genuinely rebuilding or if they had a hand in ensuring their worst season in years.
A Devastating 2024 Season
The Panthers’ 2024 campaign was as bad as it gets. With a 2-15 record, they finished with the second-worst record in the league and found themselves squarely in the running for a high draft pick. The team’s performance against both strong and weak opponents was abysmal: they went 0-10 against teams above .500, showing a complete inability to compete with more talented rosters. Their record against division rivals was similarly poor at 1-5, with only one win in the NFC South against the similarly lowly Falcons. While they managed to secure two wins against teams below .500, they could not maintain consistency.
Offensively, the Panthers struggled mightily, averaging just 27 points per game, while their defense allowed an average of 40 points per game, one of the worst in the league. Their offense gained 397.9 yards per game, but the turnovers were crippling. The Panthers threw 42 interceptions, took 36 sacks, and lost 16 fumbles. They also dropped 34 passes, compounding their inefficiency. In terms of yardage and points, they were one of the most explosive teams in the wrong way. On defense, the Panthers were opportunistic but ultimately ineffective. They intercepted just 15 passes, recorded 27 sacks, forced 7 fumbles, and scored 5 defensive touchdowns, but these numbers weren’t nearly enough to offset the team’s struggles on offense.
Despite these overwhelming issues, the Panthers had one shining light in rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter, whom they selected with the second overall pick in the 2025 draft. Hunter quickly became one of the league’s most exciting young receivers, showing promise as a future star. His presence on the field provided a glimmer of hope for the Panthers’ future, but it was clear the 2024 season was a wash.
Offseason Overhaul: Building for the Future
With the 2024 season behind them, the Panthers shifted their focus to rebuilding. The team made several key moves to reshape their roster and add depth at important positions. The first big move came in the draft, where they selected Travis Hunter, who immediately became the centerpiece of their offense. Hunter’s arrival was followed by the addition of several key players who would help build a balanced and explosive roster.
In the running back room, the Panthers drafted Ashton Jeanty to create a 1-2 punch alongside Jonathan Brooks. This tandem was expected to add both speed and power to the backfield, providing quarterback Bryce Young with a reliable ground game. The Panthers also made significant upgrades to their receiving corps. Alongside Hunter, they added veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and the electric Kadarius Toney, rounding out a formidable group with speedster rookie Arian Smith and the promising talent of Xavier Legette, who was given the X-Factor designation. To add a new wrinkle to their offense, the Panthers moved Chase Claypool from wide receiver to tight end, hoping that the change in position would maximize his athleticism (it has).
Defensively, the Panthers added several veteran players to shore up their struggling defense. Brandon Stephens was signed to be the team’s CB1, and the Panthers added pass rushers like Jadaveon Clowney, Lorenzo Carter, and rookie Desmond Evans. These moves were aimed at improving the Panthers’ defensive line and linebacker corps, which had struggled to generate pressure in 2024. While the defense still had room to improve, the influx of talent was expected to help turn things around. Overall, both sides of the ball improved, with the offense gaining multiple pieces that are more talented and athletic than they had, and the defense gaining youth although not necessarily having elite level skill.
A Slow but Steady Turnaround: 2025-2026 Season
The 2025-2026 season has been a marked improvement for the Panthers. Through Week 12, they have posted a 7-4 record, already surpassing their win total from the previous season. Offensively, the team has made great strides, averaging 37 points per game. While their defense still allows 37 points per game, roughly the same as in 2024, the Panthers have been able to outscore their opponents barely and take care of business against weaker teams. Their offensive yardage has jumped from 397.9 yards per game in 2024 to 435.5 yards per game in 2025, with significant improvements in both the passing and running games. The best sign of positive change, comes in their record against opponents above .500 which is 3-4 as opposed to the 0-10 a year ago.
Quarterback Bryce Young, in his second season, has made noticeable strides. While he still has room for growth, Young has been more efficient and has thrown just 18 interceptions so far, a dramatic decrease from the 42 he contributed to in 2024. The Panthers’ offensive line has improved as well, with fewer sacks (19) and a reduction in fumbles (8). The team has also cut down on dropped passes, which plagued them in 2024, with only 12 drops in 2025.
The Panthers’ receiving corps has been electrifying. Travis Hunter, Keenan Allen, and Kadarius Toney have all been highly productive, with Hunter emerging as one of the league’s top young receivers. His dynamic playmaking ability has helped elevate the Panthers’ offense and has been a key part of their success. Meanwhile, Jonathan Brooks and Ashton Jeanty have formed a solid 1-2 punch in the running game, providing balance and flexibility in the offensive scheme.
Defensively, while the Panthers have not been dominant, they’ve shown significant improvement. The team’s defense has recorded 16 interceptions, 18 sacks, and 5 defensive touchdowns. The pass rush has been more consistent, and players like Clowney, Carter, and Evans have contributed to the team’s better overall performance. However, the Panthers are still allowing 394 yards per game, and their defense remains a work in progress. Nevertheless, they have been able to get timely stops and force turnovers when needed, allowing their offense to shine.
Did the Panthers Tank in 2024?
Given the Panthers’ rapid improvement from 2024 to 2025, the question remains: Did the team intentionally tank in 2024 to secure a high draft pick and set themselves up for future success? Looking at the season from a macro perspective, it’s hard to say definitively whether the Panthers were tanking. While their 2-15 record is undeniable, the team’s struggles in 2024 could also be attributed to a combination of poor performance, poor execution, and perhaps some bad luck. The team’s offense was notoriously turnover-prone, with Bryce Young’s development still in its early stages and a lack of consistency on both sides of the ball.
On the other hand, the Panthers’ roster overhaul in the offseason and the rapid improvements in 2025 suggest that the team had a clear vision for the future. The addition of key players like Travis Hunter, Keenan Allen, and the influx of defensive talent likely set the stage for a competitive team in 2025. The Panthers made several moves that would only pay off in the long term, and given their strong draft and strategic free-agent signings, they appear to have been building towards a successful 2025 season, even if it came at the expense of a poor 2024 season.
It’s important to note that while the Panthers did not have an intentional tanking strategy, they were able to use the 2024 season as a stepping stone for future success. They secured a high draft pick and used it wisely, selecting Travis Hunter, who has already emerged as one of the best young wide receivers in the league. The team also made key additions to bolster their roster, resulting in a much more competitive team in 2025.
Conclusion
The question of whether the Carolina Panthers intentionally tanked in 2024 to secure a better future is a complex one. Looking at the evidence, there are compelling arguments on both sides.
On the one hand, the Panthers’ 2-15 record in 2024 was undeniably poor, and the team’s lack of competitiveness against stronger opponents raises suspicions that they may not have been giving their all. The team’s performance was marked by disastrous turnovers, an unproductive offense, and a defense that allowed the most points in the league. With a talented roster already in place, including rookie quarterback Bryce Young and playmaking receivers like Travis Hunter, one could argue that the Panthers’ failures were less about bad luck and more about poor execution—perhaps by design. The team’s low win total did position them for a high draft pick, which led to the selection of the highly touted Hunter in the 2025 draft. Hunter, a young star, has been integral to their success in 2025. Furthermore, the Panthers’ offseason moves were targeted at long-term success, with a clear emphasis on upgrading key positions such as wide receiver, running back, and the defensive line. It’s not hard to see how some fans or analysts might speculate that the team intentionally took a step back in 2024, knowing that the draft would provide an opportunity to secure a future star.
On the other hand, there’s also a strong argument that the Panthers’ 2024 struggles were simply a byproduct of a team in the midst of transition. Bryce Young, in his second year as the starter, faced more growing pains, and his development as a young quarterback was inconsistent. The offense, while explosive at times, was wildly inefficient, especially with the turnover issues. Additionally, the defense, though opportunistic, struggled to stop opponents consistently. These problems are often the result of a young team learning to gel and a franchise in the process of rebuilding, rather than a deliberate attempt to fail. Even the Panthers’ major roster changes in the offseason could be seen as part of a natural progression, aimed at bolstering the team for a brighter future, rather than a post-season strategy to secure draft position. The Panthers’ rebuilding efforts, particularly the addition of veterans like Keenan Allen and Brandon Stephens, demonstrate that the franchise’s priority was to improve, not to tank.
While the turnaround from 2024 to 2025 is impressive, it’s not unreasonable to think the Panthers may have been laying the groundwork for a quick recovery all along. The improvements in 2025, particularly in the offense, show that the team had long-term plans in mind, and many of the issues from 2024, such as turnover problems and lack of depth, were expected to improve with time. The hiring of new players, along with the development of young playmakers like Hunter, are proof that the Panthers were always focused on future success, even if their 2024 performance didn’t reflect that ambition.
Ultimately, while the Panthers’ 2024 season was disastrous, it’s hard to definitively say whether it was the result of a calculated tanking strategy or simply a rough year in the midst of a rebuilding process. What we can conclude, however, is that the franchise made the most of its poor season by securing valuable assets like Travis Hunter, which has paid off in 2025. The team’s performance this season, 7-4 through Week 12, suggests that their plans are starting to come to fruition. The Panthers may not have been intentionally tanking in 2024, but they certainly took advantage of the situation to build a team that’s on the rise. Whether the 2024 struggles were due to a purposeful tank or just the natural course of a rebuild, it’s clear the Panthers are on a positive trajectory now, and their future looks much brighter.
The Results of the Tank Investigation: Innocent
