CHARLOTTE — Now that it's July, we're officially in the ramp-up to training camp and the start of the 2025 season.
So now's a good time to catch up with the Panthers' opponents this year and see what they've done this offseason to impact this year's matchup.
We'll go through these in order, so stay tuned for our breakdowns of the whole schedule.
OPPONENT: Arizona Cardinals
All-time series: Panthers lead 15-6 overall (Panthers lead 9-4 in Charlotte, Panthers lead 6-2 in Tempe and Glendale).
Last year: The Panthers took a 36-30 overtime win in Week 16, with Chuba Hubbard high-stepping his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day. Hubbard finished with 152 rushing yards and two scores.
The Panthers also got a critical late interception from rookie safety Demani Richardson, and quarterback Bryce Young one-upped Cards QB Kyler Murray by rushing for a career-high 68 yards and a touchdown, along with throwing two touchdowns.
2024 rankings and results
Record: 8-9
Total offense: 11th
Total defense: 21st
Personnel moves
Key additions in free agency: Signed OLB Josh Sweat, DE Calais Campbell, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, QB Jacoby Brissett, WR Zay Jones.
Key additions in the draft: DT Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson, DT Jordan Burch, LB Cody Simon.
Changes from last year: One of the biggest moves was keeping one of their own, extending tight end Trey McBride. Since he caught 111 passes last year, that four-year, $76 million deal (which made him the highest-paid tight end in the league) was justified. He's become Kyler Murray's favorite target for good reason.
General manager Monti Ossenfort also spent some money in free agency, bringing in the Eagles pass-rusher Josh Sweat and reuniting him with head coach Jonathan Gannon (his old defensive coordinator in Philadelphia). The 28-year-old Sweat had 8.0 sacks for the champion Eagles last year.
What to watch for in 2025: The Cardinals are hoping for a second-year bump from former No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison had 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns last year, a respectable rookie season. He's reportedly had a strong spring and has the kind of talent to make a significant impact and change the way opponents defend them.
They can still run the ball with James Conner and Trey Benson. In fact, if Conner hadn't been injured during the December meeting, the result would likely have been different since the Panthers were struggling to stop him. He had 15 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown before he left. Of course, games like that are why the Panthers spent heavily on run defenders themselves this offseason.
And by signing Calais Campbell, the Cardinals got a guy who has actually played more games than JJ Jansen. Campbell has a 261-260 edge over the Panthers long snapper and Phoenix native (they're 39th and 41st on the all-time list), meaning the Week 2 meeting will be big for the leather-helmet crowd.
View all the action from the Panthers' game in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals.
