The Panthers are probably glad to be done with 2024 but the 2025 season shows hopes of promise.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β The Carolina Panthers have broken a record that no team wants to hold.
The Panthers allowed an unprecedented 534 points in the 2024 season, now the NFL record. Carolina beat the previous record of 533 points set by the Baltimore Colts in 1981.
By the margin of a single point, the Panthers are now alone atop the record books. All future teams will hope to keep them there.Β
Every score this season made this possible. From the seemingly meaningless second-half scores by New Orleans in the 47-10 smackdown in Week 1 to the heart-breaking last-second field goal by Kansas City in their 30-27 win in Week 12. Even the Raiders’ useless touchdown in the final minute of Carolina’s 36-22 win in Week 3 contributed.
“I think there are a lot of things we have to address,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after Carolina’s Week 18 win over the Falcons. “At the same time, I want to honor every single one of those guys who played so hard for us.”
Canales did quip about the record when he was asked about it.
“If you’re gonna be last then be first last,” Canales said. “Be absolutely number one in that regard.”
The Panthers allowed their opponents to score 40 points three times and allowed 30 points 10 times. The 1981 Colts allowed opponents to score 40 points four times and allowed 30 points nine times. The Colts were led by an aging Bert Jones at quarterback and had little to look forward to. In 1982, the Colts went winless in the strike-shortened season and moved to Indianapolis by 1984 after a yearslong stadium dispute. The Panthers, however, have a promising leader in Bryce Young and could soon return to the top of the league.
Rushing woes
Carolina was also near another poor defensive record — most rushing yards allowed in a season. The Panthers allowed their opponents to gain 3,057 yards on the ground, which is the third-worst total in NFL history. The Bills set the record by allowing 3,228 yards in 1978.Β
The Panthers allowed over 200 yards rushing in their last six games. This is tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Kansas City’s 11-game streak from 1975 to 1976. Coincidentally, the Panthers are tied with Kansas City’s six-game streak set in 1977.
Tampa Bay ran for the most yards against the Panthers this season with 236 yards rushing in a 26-23 overtime win in Week 13.
Team milestones
While positives from a 5-12 season are often few and far between, some players set personal or franchise bests that will forever be in the record books.
Touchdowns
The 2024 Panthers will not be remembered for lighting up the scoreboard every week but the team did put up numbers not seen in several years.Β
The Panthers scored 40 touchdowns this season, the most since 2018 (46).Β
Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offense got clicking in the second half of the season. Panthers quarterbacks threw 22 touchdown passes this season, the most since the team had 28 touchdown passes in 2018.
Young threw at least one touchdown pass in the last 10 games of the season, the longest Panthers quarterback streak since Cam Newton in 2018 (11). The Panthers record is 16 straight games, set by Newton in 2014-2015.
Young scored six rushing touchdowns this season, the fourth-most by a Panthers quarterback and the most since Newton posted the same mark in 2017.
Rushing yards
Chuba Hubbard ended his season with 1,195 yards rushing, the fourth-best total in franchise history. Hubbard’s season was cut short by a calf strain that placed him on injured reserve for the season’s final two games.
Hubbard’s rushing total is the most by a Panthers player since Christian McCaffrey’s 1300 yards in 2019.
Rookie tight end record
Ja’Tavion Sanders broke the franchise record for most yards receiving by a rookie tight end in Week 18’s win. Sanders ended the year with 33 receptions for 342 yards receiving. His yards record surpassed the record set by Ian Thomas in 2018. Sanders fell three receptions short of breaking the record set by Thomas.
Undrafted rookie receiver record
Jalen Coker set two undrafted rookie franchise records with 32 receptions for 478 yards passing. Coker played his first game in Week 4 and became one of Carolina’s sneakier targets as the season progressed. His best game was a 110-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. Corey Brown set the previous mark with 21 receptions for 296 yards receiving in 2014.
Sacks
Ninth-year player A’Shawn Robinson set a personal record with 5.5 sacks this season. The defensive end’s previous best mark was two sacks in 2021.Β
Scoring
Kicker Eddy PiΓ±eiro continued his climb up the Panthers’ record book this season. PiΓ±eiro scored 99 points this season, moving him to seventh in franchise history with 320 points scored across his Panthers career. The fifth-year kicker started the season 13th in franchise history.Β
If PiΓ±eiro sticks with the Panthers in 2025, he’s likely to move to fourth in franchise history ahead of Cam Newton (382), Jonathan Stewart (348), and DeAngelo Williams (322).
Losing season streak
The Panthers will look to end this streak in 2025. Carolina’s seven straight losing seasons is the second-longest active streak in the league — only the Jets’ streak of nine straight losing seasons is worse. The Panthers have lost at least 10 games in six straight seasons, the third longest such streak in league history.
This long-losing era has submerged the Panthers to 26th in all-time winning percentage (.452). Before the seven-year streak, the Panthers were 17th (.499).
