- Super Bowl Championships: 0
- Last Super Bowl Appearance: Super Bowl 50 (Lost 24-10 to the Denver Broncos)
- Claim to Fame: The Panthers 7-9 record in their first year as an expansion team is an all-time best in the NFL, and they are the only team to ever win consecutive NFC South titles (2013-15)
- Claim to Shame: Carolina has never posted back-to-back winning seasons
The Carolina Panthers history may not be lengthy, only entering the NFL in 1995, but it’s certainly been successful.
In their second year in the NFL, they won their division with a 12-4 record and even advanced to the NFC Championship. In total, they’ve won six division titles, including three in a row from 2013-15.
Despite an overall losing record (183-184-1), they’ve made their ups count (sort of), reaching four NFC title games and two Super Bowls – losing both.
Cam Newton has been the face of the franchise basically since he was drafted first-overall in 2011. Up until 2018, he had started all 16 games five times in seven seasons, missing just three total. But his 2018 season came to an end a couple weeks early due to a shoulder injury, which required surgery. Even before he was shutdown, his play was clearly hampered by the nagging ailment.
Newton’s ineffectiveness under center saw the Panthers, as a whole, fall back in 2018. They finished 7-9 a year after going 11-5. But he remains one of the most dangerous QBs in the league with his legs. In 2017, he rushed for a team-high 754 yards and six touchdowns. He didn’t have to shoulder as big a load in the run game last year with Christian McCaffrey in the mix.
The Swiss Army knife of running backs racked up 1,098 yards on the ground and was also the team’s leading receiver with 867 yards.
If Newton’s shoulder is back to 100%, the offense is going to be extremely tough to stop in 2019. With All Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly still anchoring a solid defense, the Panthers are poised for a bounce-back season, barring injury.
