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: New Orleans Saints
All-time series: Saints lead 31-29 overall (Tied 15-15 in Charlotte, Saints lead 16-14 in New Orleans).
Last year: The Saints took a 47-10 win in the opener in the Superdome, as Derek Carr threw for three touchdowns, and they picked off Bryce Young twice (including his first pass of the season) in a game that seems like decades ago.
The Panthers evened it up in Week 9 with a 23-22 win at Bank of America Stadium, snapping a five-game losing streak and setting the stage for a second-half surge. Chuba Hubbard ran for two touchdowns, and rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders had four catches for 87 yards and an impressive hurdling catch-and-run.
2024 rankings and results
Record: 5-12
Total offense: 21st
Total defense: 30th
Personnel moves
Key additions in free agency: Re-signed DE Chase Young, S Justin Reid, WR Brandin Cooks, CB Isaac Yiadom, re-signed TE Juwan Johnson.
Key additions in the draft: OT Kelvin Banks, QB Tyler Shough, DT Vernon Broughton, S Jonas Sanker, LB Danny Stutsman, CB Quincy Riley.
Changes from last year: The Saints will be breaking in a new quarterback, as veteran Derek Carr abruptly retired in May amid reports he needed shoulder surgery. They don't know who it'll be yet, as rookie Tyler Shough, second-year man Spencer Rattler, and third-year backup Jake Haener are competing for the job. You have to figure since new coach Kellen Moore handpicked the 25-year-old Shough (probably the last draft pick ever born in the 1990s and old enough to be off his parents' insurance) that he's the early favorite, as neither Rattler nor Haener has ever won an NFL start.
And, oh yeah, they have a new coaching staff, too. The 36-year-old Moore, who was a finalist for the Panthers job in 2023, earned his reputation as a bright offensive coach thanks to his work with Dan Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. And he's bringing defensive coordinator and former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley with him, meaning the Saints will be running a 3-4 defense after being in a base 4-3 for the last 10 years or so.
What to watch for in 2025: With the new coordinator comes a lot of changes on defense.
Keeping pass-rusher Chase Young in free agency was key, but they're exceedingly young in the secondary after trading cornerback Marshon Lattimore last year and watching Paulson Adebo leave in free agency. That means a young corner group, including Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alontae Taylor, and rookie Quincy Riley, will be out there against a Panthers passing game that showed great progress last year.
Of course, the Saints still have a ton of offensive skill position talent around Shough or whoever, with running back Alvin Kamara and receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, all of whom have made their share of plays against the Panthers in the past and can again.
View all the action from the Panthers' game in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints.
