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The Carolina Panthers are supposed to be in the middle of their turnaround. With Dave Canales entering his second year as head coach, Bryce Young entering his third year as quarterback, and a roster supposedly deeper than in years past, the expectation was simple: progress. Yet two weeks into the preseason, that word feels foreign. The Panthers aren’t looking like a team turning the corner. They look like a team stuck in neutral. And worse, they look like they know it.
Preseason Cause for Concern
Yes, it’s only preseason. It’s a limited sample size. It won’t count. Let’s get that out of the way after the Panthers’ dispiriting 20-3 exhibition loss at Houston on Saturday. Of course, let’s also admit that it’s time to worry about these 2025 Panthers. Canales is usually the embodiment of optimism. He is the type who, as the saying goes, will grab a shovel when faced with a pile of manure because he’s convinced a pony must be hiding somewhere. Yet even Canales sounded rattled this time. After the game, he admitted the effort wasn’t up to standard and asked aloud the kind of question no fan wants to hear: “Are we gonna be almost good?”
Just a week ago, the picture looked brighter. In their 30-10 loss to Cleveland in Week 1, Carolina’s starters actually impressed. Bryce Young led a touchdown drive and the defense delivered an early stop before the reserves fell apart. That was easier to stomach. Against Houston, though, the malaise infected the entire team from start to finish. The Panthers never threatened. They stumbled their way to 0-2 in the preseason, and have now been outscored 50-13 through two games.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Carolina Panthers' biggest reason to panic after start of 2025 NFL Preseason.
The Starters Don’t Look Like Starters
Sue, the preseason can be an exhausting time filled with overreactions. However, Carolina’s starters didn’t do much to inspire confidence moving forward. The donkey of the day was the first-team offense. They mustered only three net yards on two possessions. Yes, you read that right. Three yards.
Young’s very first play from scrimmage should have been a disaster. He threw an interception that was nullified by penalty. A drive later, he threw a perfect third-and-8 strike to rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, only to watch the ball clank off Sanders’ hands. That’s how seasons unravel, and it happened in August.
The second series ended in a sack courtesy of Texans defensive end Mario Edwards. With that, Young and the starters were shelved. Two drives, nothing to show for it, and a feeling that the Panthers’ so-called strength, which was supposed to be the maturation of their offense, still has years to go.
The defense wasn’t much better. Yes, they were not nearly as disappointing as the offense. That said, the unit looked far too much like its dreadful 2024 self. They surrendered an 11-play, 60-yard touchdown drive in the opening quarter. Houston isn’t exactly a powerhouse, but against Carolina, they didn’t need to be.
A Team Searching for Rhythm
That uncomfortable feeling won’t go away quickly. Canales confirmed he won’t risk his starters in the third and final preseason game at home against Pittsburgh. That means Carolina’s first-team offense and defense will not take another live snap until Sept. 7. That's when the regular season opens at Jacksonville. For three weeks, the Panthers’ best players will sit with the bitter taste of failure.
It’s not as if there weren’t bright spots earlier in the week. Reports out of the joint practice with Houston were glowing. Carolina’s starters moved the ball with efficiency. The pass rush flashed, and the overall vibe suggested momentum. Yet none of that carried over into the game. The Panthers converted just 10 percent of their third downs. They ran only 46 plays, which was an absurdly low number, and looked more lifeless than dangerous.
Young acknowledged the disappointment.
“Obviously you want, for us with the (starters), you want a different result,” he said after losing to Houston. “It sucks, but that’s preseason football. You kind of get that sample size, and obviously you want to do well early and get it done fast. Didn’t get that done today.”
When Excuses Wear Thin
It’s tempting to dismiss this all as typical preseason overreaction theater. However, the evidence is piling up. Sanders’ costly drop. Rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan failing to catch a single pass after a promising camp. Even Andy Dalton, the veteran insurance policy, couldn’t provide stability. He left with an elbow sprain after being hit mid-throw on what could have been a long McMillan touchdown.
Sure, it’s preseason. Still, those are real missed opportunities, real injuries, and real execution failures. They can’t be waved away.
Final Word
If you want to cling to optimism, here it is: Young himself has not been the problem. In fact, his passes have been sharp. Of his eight preseason attempts, four have been completed, and the other four all hit receivers in their hands. That detail matters. Young is throwing on time, in rhythm, and with accuracy. If his playmakers stop betraying him, Carolina’s offense may yet turn the corner.
Young is Carolina’s most important player. If he continues to show poise, the foundation remains intact. Of course, foundations don’t win football games alone. The walls, the roof, the finishing touches all still look far from finished.
It’s August. There’s time. But time alone doesn’t fix a broken operation. The Panthers have spent two games looking like a team in search of itself, and their head coach knows it. Dave Canales asked if his Panthers are “gonna be almost good.” After two preseason debacles, the answer feels dangerously close to “yes.” And that’s the biggest reason to panic.
