Tepper Declares Panthers a 2026 Playoff Team After NFC South Title
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jul 24
Tepper Declares Panthers a 2026 Playoff Team After NFC South Title
3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jul 24
Summary
David Tepper said Carolina has moved from merely chasing a berth to being "a playoff team" in 2026, signaling he expects the Panthers to contend near the top of the NFC.
The owner made the remark at a Bank of America Stadium event tied to a naming-rights extension and renovation update, when he was asked what a championship team looks like.
Carolina enters that season after winning the NFC South and improving by 3 wins from 2025, giving Tepper a statistical basis for raising expectations in Dave Canales's third year as head coach.
No formal mandate accompanied the declaration, but missing the playoffs after the owner's public benchmark would intensify questions about how the franchise responds to a step back.