3 gifts the Carolina Panthers have under the tree this Christmas

Here's what gifts the Panthers have earned this year.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts with wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) and wide receiver David Moore (83) after Moores touchdown catch in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are 4-11, and they've just won a game that pushed them out of the top five in the 2025 NFL Draft. Those two things are never a good combination, since teams need to be truly bad to get the most impactful players. However, things in Carolina may be better than they seem this Christmas.

The Panthers have had plenty of gifts this year. Though they've won just four times and have suffered some heartbreaking losses along the way, plenty is waiting under the Christmas tree for the long and much-maligned NFL franchise.

3 gifts waiting for the Panthers on Christmas morning

1. A positive reputation

Last year and through nine weeks this season, the Panthers were the laughingstock of the league. They had traded a boatload of assets for Bryce Young, who looked like one of the worst number-one picks in NFL Draft history. Now, they have changed their reputation in a matter of a few weeks. They're no longer a pushover and the NFL isn't laughing at them. They have upset a few teams and pushed contenders to the limit. The consensus on the team now is that they're much closer to being good than being a laughingstock again. Their reputation has changed in remarkable time, perhaps the best gift they could've received.

2. A franchise combination

In 2011, the Panthers drafted Cam Newton and hired Ron Rivera. The QB and coach duo lasted until the end of the 2018 season, which was the last time Carolina had either spot truly locked down. Since then, they've had six head coaches and have tried more than six players under center. Though it has been far from pretty at times, the combination of head coach Dave Canales and quarterback Bryce Young could finally put an end to the team's search. Canales looks like a home-run hire, and Young is morphing into a franchise QB and a burgeoning star right before our eyes.

3. A top-tier running back

Miles Sanders was a bust signing and he got hurt. Jonathon Brooks re-tore his ACL. Yet, the Panthers still have one of the most dominant rushing attacks in the NFL. Chuba Hubbard is an absolute stud. Fresh off his 152-yard day, it's important to recognize just how good he is. He's among the top five rushers in terms of yardage and has 10 touchdowns. After trading away Christian McCaffrey, fans might have felt that it would take ages to find a top-tier running back again. As it turns out, he was behind CMC on the depth chart the entire time.

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