The choice seemed obvious after the season Young just hand, in which he led the Panthers to their first division title in a decade. That will keep him here through the 2027 season.

The team brought back the bulk of this year's practice squad, hanging onto a number of young players they want to continue to develop, and added three players who were elsewhere last season.

The running back was sidelined the entire 2025 season as he recovered from his second ACL tear in a calendar year. But now with the page turned to 2026, he's eyeing a return and putting in the work to make it happen. 

Canales confirmed they were retaining defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and talked about entering the offseason following Saturday's season-ending playoff loss to the Rams.

With their best record in years, and the first playoff berth since 2017, the Panthers are heading into 2026 with optimism, confidence, and a roadmap for the future. 

The loss to the Rams only muted the feelings of the Panthers players a bit, because they know they were part of a special event on Saturday — one they hope to replicate in the future.

The left tackle will be out a significant amount of time, which will force the Panthers to adjust the offseason planning.

A look at some of the key stats from the game, as well as the snap counts from Saturday's loss to the Rams in the Wild Card round. 

The second-year receiver Jalen Coker had a career night, showing he can be a dynamic counterpart to Tetairoa McMillan, and provide fire-power for the Panthers offense moving forward. 

Whether it was coming back from a 1-3 start, or beating some of the league's top teams, or pushing the Rams to the final minute in the playoffs, the Panthers left Saturday with confidence.

The third-year quarterback gave them the lead again late, and after a season with six game-winning drives, that's what they're expecting from him.