The good and bad of the Carolina Panthers newly released 2025 schedule
The NFL’s schedule release spectacular has finally concluded and the full Carolina Panthers schedule is now set in stone. Let’s breakdown what’s there to love, and what’s there to hate in Dave Canales and Dan Morgan’s sophomore campaign leading the franchise.
The wait is finally over@MillerLite pic.twitter.com/kxYAStZO9P
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) May 15, 2025
Love: Season opener versus the Jacksonville Jaguars
One of my hopes for the schedule this season was that the Panthers wouldn’t open their season on the road against a division opponent for a third straight season. I received my wish, but it was even better than I could have hoped. The Panthers first game will take place against the Jacksonville Jaguars, marking the third time the Panthers have opened the season versus their fellow ‘95 expansion team. The other two times? Well, that would be the 2003 and 2015 seasons. I’m not the greatest at analyzing statistics, but I don’t mind the trend that every time the Panthers open the season versus the Jaguars they make the Super Bowl.
Hate: Week 14 bye week
Playing 13 games in a row before being able to get a rest during their Week 14 bye seems like a long stretch. Last season, the Panthers suffered through a series of mid-season injuries that left them starting off-the-street free agents and rookies in many spots. Let’s hope the Panthers gain some injury luck in their favor this year so by the time the December rolls around, they can use the bye week to rest up and not just get healthy.
Love: Back in Primetime
After a drought of primetime games during the 2024 season – they had zero last year – the NFL decided the Panthers are out of the dog house and can be seen playing football outside of the 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sunday window. The Week 12 Monday Night Football matchup should be a fun one, provided old friend Christian McCaffrey is healthy and looking to prove to the Panthers he shouldn’t have traded him.
Hate: Weeks 8 though 13
If you want to pick a stretch of games on the schedule that might give the Panthers the toughest time, it’s the stretch of games that begins with the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 and ends with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. After welcoming the Bills into Bank of America, the Panthers will continue a stretch of tough games against either perennial playoff contending teams, with back-to-back divisional games sandwiched in the middle. In may not be hyperbole to say that however the Panthers handle themselves over this stretch will likely represent how their season goes as a whole.
Love: Backlogged divisional games
I don’t know if this will be considered a controversial take, but I love that the five of Panthers divisional games will come during the Panthers final eight games. The Panthers have notoriously been a team that starts out slow and leans in during the back half of the schedule to finish strong. This time around, the Panthers get a chance to make up for any early season woes by taking on the rest of the NFC South in an end of season gauntlet to decide the division. Buckle up, there’s going to be a lot of math in December and January to sort out division tiebreakers.
That’s all I’ve got for you Panthers fans, but let me know in the comments what you love and hate about the Panthers 2025 schedule!