Transcript: Panthers Head Coach Press Conference

Can you talk about the development of Travis Hunter so far?

Travis Hunter has been nothing short of incredible in his development so far. The guy’s a natural-born weapon, and it showed right out of the gate during his rookie season. We didn’t try to overload him with expectations or ask him to do anything outside of what he’s capable of—we just told him to go out there, run his routes right, and make plays when the opportunity came. And boy, did he deliver. In an offense that’s more run-heavy than most and with multiple other receiving options in the mix, he still managed to rack up over 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. That’s not just talent—that’s poise, work ethic, and a knack for making big plays when it matters.

What’s scary is that this is just the beginning. You could see flashes of what he’s capable of this season, but we think he’s just scratching the surface. He’s got the route-running ability, the speed, the after-the-catch explosiveness—it’s all there. And now that he’s got a year of experience under his belt, next season is going to be a problem for opposing defenses. He’s got the confidence, the chemistry with the offense, and the hunger to get even better. Next season? Look out, because Travis Hunter is coming, and he’s coming with something to prove.

How do you see the competition level in the NFC South currently?

We feel like we were just a couple of big plays away from running away with this division this past season. If a few things went our way, we wouldn’t even be talking about a race—it would’ve been a wrap. But the beauty of it is, we didn’t need to win the division to make the playoffs. And now, we’re sitting here, locked in, focused, and ready to take care of business. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is out there acting like they’re the kings of the NFC South just because they squeaked by with the division title. Let’s be real—the Bucs are like that kid who gets a participation ribbon and thinks they won the whole competition. Congrats, you barely stumbled across the finish line.

The Bucs are living in a fantasy world where they think they’re better than they actually are. Their coach is out here puffing his chest like he’s running some kind of dynasty, but let’s not pretend this is anything more than mediocrity dressed up as success. Half their wins came because teams beat themselves rather than Tampa doing anything special. They’re good at taking advantage of mistakes, I’ll give them that, but when it comes to head-to-head talent and coaching? Let’s just say the scoreboard doesn’t always tell the full story. So yeah, we’re looking forward to getting our revenge on sorry-ass Tampa Bay. They’re about to find out real quick that they were just keeping the seat warm for the real contenders.

Can you describe kind of the energy or the mood and the vibe in the building now coming in the home stretch?

We’re feeling fantastic right now. There’s something special about this team—a young group that’s worked hard, stayed focused, and now has its first real taste of playoff football. The practices, the preparation, everything we’ve been grinding for all season, it’s all coming together. Nobody outside this building thought we’d be here, but guess what? Here we are. And trust me, we’re not just happy to be here—we’re here to make noise. The vibe in the building is confident but hungry, because this young team has gotten a glimpse of what success feels like, and we’re not satisfied with just a taste.

Now, let’s talk about the teams we’ll potentially face. We’ve got Tampa Bay, the so-called NFC South champions. The Bucs think they’re the kings of the division because they managed to limp to the finish line first, but we all know what they really are: a team with an inflated ego and a coach who can’t stop hearing himself talk. Congrats on the division title, Tampa—you played just well enough to barely scrape by. Enjoy it while you can because you’re about to find out that your little charade as ‘contenders’ doesn’t hold up in the playoffs.

Then there’s Seattle. Oh, the Seahawks. We gifted them a win with turnovers and mistakes, and now their coach is running around like he’s cracked the code on how to beat us. Newsflash: you didn’t ‘beat’ us; we handed you the game. If you think that same formula is going to work in the playoffs, you’re in for a rude awakening. Keep counting on luck and Kenneth Walker to save your playbook. We’ll be ready this time.

Now the Bears, well, that’s just a feel-good story, isn’t it? They’ve been rebuilding for what feels like two decades, and now they’re acting like they’ve arrived. Let’s not forget, they got one over on us when we were figuring things out earlier in the season, but we’re not the same team you saw then. Enjoy your Cinderella story while it lasts, Chicago, because midnight is coming.

And the Commanders—what can you say about Washington? They’re like that team that’s always hanging around but never really scares anyone. Sure, they beat us, but that says more about the weird day we had than anything they did right. Their biggest accomplishment is winning a division that ate itself alive this season. Congrats, I guess? If we see them again, we’ll make sure they remember why they’re usually our punching bag.

So yeah, the vibe here is electric. We weren’t ‘supposed’ to be here, but we’re here anyway. All those teams we lost to during the season? They’re about to find out that regular-season wins don’t mean anything when the playoffs start. We’re coming, and we’re coming with receipts.