My Top 10 Carolina Panthers of All Time
I have been a Panthers fan since the first season. Before that I was a Redskins guy, and yes, I know. Charlotte got a team and I went all in. So I have watched every one of these guys play, and I have strong opinions about the order.
Honorable mentions: Charles Johnson, Ryan Kalil, Josh Norman, Wesley Walls, Kevin Greene, and Greg "Catman" Good.
10. Jordan Gross, OT (2003-2013). Gross started 167 games, which is a franchise record. He protected Jake Delhomme and then a young Cam Newton for a decade. Offensive linemen never get the credit, so I am giving it to him here.
9. Muhsin Muhammad, WR (1996-2004, 2008-2009). Muhsin led the NFL with 102 catches in 2000 and caught a franchise-record 16 touchdowns in 2004. He is also the guy who scored the 85-yard touchdown in the Super Bowl. Before Steve Smith took over, he was the offense.
8. Sam Mills, LB (1995-1997). Mills played three seasons in Carolina. He showed up at 36 years old and anchored the defense that reached the NFC Championship Game in year two. Then he gave us “Keep Pounding,” and Damn, that still means something. He is in the Hall of Fame, and there is a statue of him outside the stadium.
7. Greg Olsen, TE (2011-2019). Olsen caught 1,000 yards three seasons in a row, which no tight end had done before. He was Cam’s safety valve for years. He was also the guy we all pulled for when his son T.J. was born with a heart condition.
6. Jake Delhomme, QB (2003-2009). Delhomme took a 7-9 team to the Super Bowl in his first season as the starter. He threw the 85-yard touchdown to Muhsin that gave us the lead against New England. We lost on a last-second field goal, and I still think about it. How many quarterbacks can say they came that close? Not many.
5. Thomas Davis, LB (2005-2018). Davis tore the same ACL three times and kept coming back. Then he played in Super Bowl 50 with a broken forearm. He was the heart of that locker room for 14 years.
4. Julius Peppers, DE (2002-2009, 2017-2018). Peppers won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and finished with roughly 97 sacks as a Panther. He went into the Hall of Fame in 2024. I have never seen a player that big move that fast.
3. Luke Kuechly, LB (2012-2019). Kuechly was Defensive Rookie of the Year, then Defensive Player of the Year the next season. He made seven Pro Bowls in eight years and retired at 28. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame this August. He was the smartest player I have ever watched on a football field.
2. Steve Smith Sr., WR (2001-2013). Smith is the franchise leader in catches (836), yards (12,197), and receiving touchdowns (67). In 2005 he won the receiving triple crown. He also caught the 69-yard touchdown that ended the double-overtime playoff game against the Rams. He was 5'9" and played like he was 6'5". Every fan in Charlotte loved him.
1. Cam Newton, QB (2011-2019, 2021). Newton is the only MVP in franchise history. He threw for over 4,000 yards as a rookie, and in 2015 he led us to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl 50. He changed what Panthers fans expected on Sundays. Smith has the records, but Newton won the MVP and took us to the Super Bowl.
Thirty-one years in, the Panthers have had a lot of lean years. These ten players are the reason I never left.
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The loop is worse here than in most cities. When the Panthers lose, season ticket holders resell, and in a city full of transplants the buyers already live here and root for someone else. Last year proved it runs both ways. The team won, and the building turned blue and black again.
Panthers fans not filling the stadium because the team is struggling while the team is struggling because the stadium isn't filled with Panthers fans is the most Panthers thing I ever seen lol
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NFL teams are going to build their rosters through trades and free agency more than ever.
They won't stop drafting, but picks are the commodity. Smart GMs will spend them on proven players instead of betting big on a 21-year-old.
Look at what Jacksonville just did. The Jaguars landed Jessie Bates III, Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux and gave up five future picks to do it, including a first and two seconds.
Earlier this season, the Bears gave up two firsts for Jeffery Simmons.
GM James Gladstone says he values picks, and his track record backs it up. His old team, the Rams, made the third-most draft selections in the league from 2017 through 2024 while trading picks away all the time. They won a Super Bowl doing it.
Why now? Teams want good men. They want coachable players and good teammates in the locker room, and a guy with a few years in the league is a known commodity.
A college kid is a gamble. Don't like your coach? Hit the portal. A lot of these kids transfer once or twice, so the coaches who knew them best may have had them for one season.
Teams only get 45 formal interviews at the combine, 18 minutes each, and many of those kids have been coached by their agents on what to say.
With franchises worth $7.1 billion on average, owners don't want to gamble.
There's risk. Jacksonville is about to lose Arik Armstead, Ezra Cleveland, DaVon Hamilton and 17 other players to expiring contracts.
So watch how the Jaguars finish this season.
This is a copycat league. If Jacksonville makes a deep run or wins it all, other GMs will follow, and you'll see a lot more picks traded for veterans.
#Jaguars GM James Gladstone says they value draft picks and it’s not “F them picks.” He values the volume of picks, and acquiring compensatory selections is part of that.
“We value picks. We don’t always use them on the three days that exist in April.”
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Yes, Gladstone traded up for Travis Hunter, but teams knew exactly who they were getting. He played for the same coach his whole college career, his work ethic was known since high school, and teams came out of their combine meetings raving about his character. That's the kind of prospect worth spending picks on.
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Is Panthers (3-5) vs. Saints (3-5) for sole possession of first place in the NFC South a “MOST MUST” win for the Panthers?
With 9 games remaining and several key players due back from injury, I am bullish on Carolina's chances of finishing the season at .500. Brooks, Horn and Jackson should make an immediate impact, and Brooks can give Hubbard a break during games, which his body will appreciate.
That said, it will take more than their return. The Panthers need to fix their self-inflicted discipline issues, mainly penalties. They also need to tighten up their game management.
If the offensive line (and tight ends) can give Bryce time, and that is a big if, they have a shot.
Yesterday, #Panthers head coach Dave Canales made it sound the reinforcements from IR are coming in short order (Legette, Brooks, Horn and Jackson), and so that probably, at least partially, gave Carolina comfort with staying put at the deadline.
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I can't see the Panthers making a trade today unless it's a cap move to clear salary for next season. No available player is likely to be good enough to send Carolina to the playoffs, and with so many injuries, they won't know what they have in their starters until those players return.
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Can beat writers @josephperson @mike_e_kaye @alexzietlow05 give the fans an idea what the emotions (mindset) are like in the Panthers locker room?
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Great awareness. Elite execution.
Bryce Young has a unique skill set that very few QBs have. Because of his size, he can make snappy, subtle movements with his body to create new platforms, which pairs perfectly w/ his quick release.
Clip 1: climbs the pocket to show scramble to AS49, exiting the window to get the ball to TM4 with pinpoint accuracy.
Clip 2: Evades AS49 blitz (good pickup from Hubbard), creates a new pocket momentarily, and fires across his body to Coker.
Clip 3: Singleton again with the pressure, but Young has the SAQ to side step quickly, set, and throw a strike to Waller.
*chef’s kiss*
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I don't need Canales to throw a fit every time a call goes against the Panthers.
But I do want him to recognize when his team and the fan base need him to speak out.
"I've had coaches before that really harp on (yelling at officials). But to have a coach that is ready for you to go make a play, make up for it — I think that's awesome."
Panthers see the positive results from Canales' calm approach panthers.com/news/panthers-s…
Trying to find some positive takeaways:
1. The Panthers won the yardage battle 353-312 and averaged 5.7 yards per play to Denver's 4.8. Narrow but it’s a win.
2. Bryce went 28/39 for 276 yards and 3 TDs, and he looked sharper than in the previous two losses.
3. After trailing 10-0, Carolina responded each time Denver pushed ahead, including a 12-play, 64-yard touchdown drive late.
4. Young played with poise. His footwork and mobility looked normal again, and the interception was a freak deflection, not a bad decision.
5. The tight end connection worked. Waller made tough catches and scored the go-ahead TD, and Tremble added a toe-tap TD plus strong blocking.
6. Pass protection improved. Young was sacked three times after being sacked six the week before, which gave him cleaner pockets.
7. The defense held up against the run. The Broncos averaged only about 3.0 yards per rush, and the unit played with more aggression.
8. The depth chart held together. Carolina played with its top four cornerbacks out and practice-squad corners starting, and Chau Smith-Wade added several key pass breakups.
9. Late-game execution improved. Carolina converted multiple fourth downs, including a 4th-and-18, and sustained long drives when it needed them.
10. Carolina competed with a strong opponent. It’s a qualitative positive about the roster’s floor and coaching adjustments that the pure box-score numbers don’t convey.
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As Panthers fans, we want our coach to be a mirror of us.
We want to see some of what we're feeling reflected in the person leading our team.
Even if it means occasionally making the league uncomfortable.
I don't need Canales to throw a fit every time a call goes against us. We have enough people doing that already.
But I do want him to recognize when his team and his fan base need him to speak up.
There's a difference between keeping your composure and keeping your mouth shut.
I'd like to see Canales know when to do both.
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