What to watch while the Panthers are on a bye week

The Panthers are enjoying an early Week 5 bye, but there is still plenty going on around the rest of the league. From Bryce Young on College Gameday to division opponents in prime time and the Week 6 opponent on early, here is everything Panthers' fans should keep on eye on this weekend.

Oct 10, 2026 at 08:00 AM

Kassidy Hill

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts embraces Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are enjoying a much-needed early bye week on Sunday. It's the earliest possible bye a team can have, but with nagging injuries, it's a welcome break for those in and around Bank of America Stadium.

But football doesn't stop, and there's still plenty to watch in and around the rest of the league. So enjoy your bye week, Panthers fans, and soak up some early-fall fun before turning your attention back to the TV. Call it a hate watch, call it research, or just call it curiosity; from division rivals to upcoming opponents, here's what to watch while the Panthers are on their bye week.

Bryce Young on Gameday

The bye week came at the perfect time for Bryce Young. He'll head to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a major matchup between No. 6 Alabama and No. 2 Georgia. The Heisman Trophy-winning QB will serve as the celebrity guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay pregame show. The show starts at 9 a.m. EST, but the guest picker typically joins the set around 11:45 a.m. EST.

Philadelphia Eagles: Head overseas with patchwork line

The Panthers' next opponent, the Eagles, have been in the headlines a lot this week, for better or worse. The club won their first two games of the season, close ones but wins nonetheless, but have dropped the last two.

During their Week 4 loss to the Rams, Philadelphia lost star running back Saquon Barkley to a hamstring injury and was also without DeVonta Smith, who has a hamstring injury.

Barkley and Smith have both been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. But the real story comes on the offensive line. Left guard Landon Dickerson is already on injured reserve, and Cam Jurgens (who had moved from center to left guard) was traded to the Ravens on Wednesday.

That all paled in comparison to Tuesday's news: longtime stalwart right tackle Lane Johnson announced he was retiring.

They'll now take a patchwork line and offense with less firepower across the pond to face the second-best rushing defense in the league (the Jaguars allow only 74.3 yards per game on the ground).

The Eagles are 2-2. They will kick off against the Jaguars at 9:30 a.m. EST on NFL Network in London.

Atlanta Falcons: Third straight prime time matchup

The Falcons are back in prime time for the third straight week, a schedule quirk that raised eyebrows at the beginning of the season but now feels incredibly fortuitous. Atlanta won their previous two matches, both in dominating fashion (Week 3 TNF over the Packers and a Week 4 Monday night game against the Saints).

Now, Bijan Robinson — who always seems to shine bright under the lights — and Michael Penix Jr. have a chance to do it again against the Ravens.

The Falcons are sitting at 2-2 with a division win over the Saints. They kick off against the Ravens at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sunday Night Football on NBC in Atlanta.

New Orleans Saints: Look to bounce back against Minnesota

The Saints have made games exciting through the first four weeks, but have won only one. Tyler Shough is still keeping pace with the league's best passers, at third overall with 1,203 yards. He's thrown nine touchdowns to three interceptions, but has also taken 12 sacks.

Now, the Saints face the league's best pass rush. The Vikings lead the NFL with 16.0 sacks and are tied with the Jaguars for the fewest passing touchdowns allowed through four weeks (3).

New Orleans is 1-3 so far and is 0-1 in the division. They kick off against the Vikings at 1:00 p.m. EST on Fox in New Orleans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Daniels delivers Tampa a win

The Bucs have actually already played their Week 5 game. Tampa Bay faced the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football and notched their first win of the season, a 26-16 victory. The club was still without Baker Mayfield, who continues to recover from a dislocated thumb. But rookie Jalon Daniels flourished under the lights. He never blinked, going 19-of-25 for 189 yards and one touchdown (no interceptions) while adding 23 yards on seven rushes.

The star of the night, though, was Bucky Irving. The running back had 165 yards on the ground, including an explosive first down that let the Bucs run out the clock after linebacker Alex Anzalone picked off Dak Prescott with less than a minute and a half left.

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