Panthers Draw 3 Prime-Time Games in 2026 as Week 1 and Week 18 Stay at Home

8 articles · Updated · Panthers.com · May 15

Three prime-time slots put Carolina on national TV more than at any point since 2016: Detroit visits for Sunday Night Football in Week 4, Green Bay hosts a Thursday nighter in Week 8, and Tampa Bay gets Monday Night Football in Week 12.
Week 1 opens at Bank of America Stadium against Chicago and Week 18 closes there against Atlanta, with four of the Panthers' final five games at home and no stretch longer than two straight home or road games.
Week 5 brings an unusually early bye, but Carolina also plays the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 tied to Luke Kuechly's induction, giving it an extra preseason game before the regular season.
Six games come against 2025 playoff teams as the defending NFC South champions face a first-place schedule, though only three opponents differ from the rest of the division.

After winning a weak division, can Bryce Young prove Carolina is a true contender against the NFL's 10th-hardest schedule?

Does Carolina’s schedule signal a new NFL strategy: prioritizing young QB narratives over winning records for its biggest primetime games?