Carolina Panthers bold predictions going into the 2024 NFL season

The Panthers are going to be a dramatically improved football team this year compared to last.

Aug 24, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and quarterback Andy Dalton (14) react to their team scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter pre-season game at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Improvement is the name of the game for the Carolina Panthers this year. After finishing at the very bottom of the heap in 2023 with a league-worst 2-15 record, they have literally nowhere to go but up. There are levels of improvement, though - and posting a 4-13 record this year isn't going to be enough to convince fans that a turnaround is coming anytime soon.

Good news: these Carolina Panthers are nothing like the team that took the field last season. Thanks to the arrival of new head coach Dave Canales and a strong draft class from first-year general manager Dan Morgan, fans have cause to be more confident about this team than they have since the end of the Cam Newton/Ron Rivera era.

Above all else, we're predicting a big breakout year from quarterback Bryce Young. Here are four bold predictions for Carolina in 2024.

The Panthers will win 7 games

Here's the scenario: this coming Sunday, the Panthers take the field against the New Orleans Saints and get their season started on the right foot, defeating their division rivals on the road by a score of 23-17. That sets the tone for a new chapter in Carolina, headlined by a powerful belief in new head coach Dave Canales and his leadership. The Panthers go on to surprise a lot of teams and are competitive in most matchups, even if they still finish with a losing record. 7-10 is a huge step up for this franchise though, and proof they're now moving in the right direction.

Bryce Young wins Most Improved Player award

In their projections for the 2024 season, ESPN has Panthers quarterback Bryce Young taking a big step forward in his production. We're willing to go one further and say their numbers for Young are too conservative, because we expect Young to bloom into a completely different kind of competitor than he was as a rookie. Thanks to the confidence and competence of Canales, Young plays decisive, smart football from beginning to end and winds up winning the Most Improved Player award.

Andy Dalton dealt at NFL trade deadline

By Week 9, the Panthers are convinced that they finally have their guy at the quarterback position. That makes veteran backup Andy Dalton more expendable - as did rookie Jack Plummer'svery-impressive finish to the preseason. So, when a team that's suffered a couple injuries at QB offers a seventh-round pick for Dalton at the deadline GM Dan Morgan decides to bite.

Dave Canales wins Coach of the Year

While he gets a good run for his money from first-year Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who leads Seattle to an 11-win season and an NFC title game appearance, Canales goes on to win the NFL's head coach of the year award. Thanks to his chops as a coach, the Panthers are relevant again by the end of the season.

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