3 players Panthers must re-sign this offseason after flaming out of playoffs

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Carolina Panthers didn’t spend January watching someone else’s future unfold. They were in the fight. They won the NFC South. Bryce Young looked like the guy. Bank of America Stadium hosted meaningful football again.

That’s what makes this offseason so delicate. When a team transitions from rebuilding to contending, a couple of things happen. First, the expectations inflate. Second, the margin for error shrinks. The Panthers don’t need splashy resets or emotional overcorrections, though. They just need continuity. The wrong departures now could undo the fragile ecosystem that finally allowed Carolina to matter again.

Season recap

The 2025 Panthers weren’t supposed to be here. After years of false starts, Carolina scraped together an 8-9 record. In a chaotic NFC South, though, that was enough to claim the franchise’s first division title since 2015. More importantly, it marked the arrival of a new identity under head coach Dave Canales.

Young’s development was the headline. With a stabilized offensive line and a defined offensive vision, Young finally played free, decisive football. His chemistry with Tetairoa McMillan transformed the passing game. Meanwhile, a recommitment to the run, which was powered by Rico Dowdle, gave Carolina balance. Defensively, Ejiro Evero’s unit wasn’t dominant. However, it was disruptive enough to keep games within reach. That reinforced a team-wide “stubborn” mentality that refused to fold.

Playoff flameout

That belief carried into the Wild Card round, where Carolina hosted the Los Angeles Rams. It was a game that felt like a referendum on the rebuild. Young passed it. He threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. He also engineered two fourth-quarter drives that briefly put the Panthers ahead. For long stretches, Carolina looked like it belonged.

Then reality hit. A leaky pass defense couldn’t hold up late. Matthew Stafford carved up coverage in the final minute for the decisive touchdown. The 34-31 loss hurt, but it also revealed the truth. The Panthers weren’t overmatched. They were incomplete. That distinction matters.

Offseason needs

The Panthers enter 2026 with momentum and exposure. The pass rush remains a glaring weakness, finishing near the bottom of the league in pressure rate. Without consistent heat, even good coverage breaks down, as the Rams proved.

The offensive line is equally concerning. Injuries to Ikem Ekwonu and Robert Hunt, combined with looming free agency for Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen, threaten to dismantle the very unit that unlocked Young’s leap. Linebacker is another pressure point with Christian Rozeboom hitting free agency. At the same time, the offense still needs a reliable slot option and tight end to complete Young’s tool kit.

Before chasing upgrades, though, Carolina must secure the players who made 2025 functional.

WR Jalen Coker

Key stats: 33 receptions, 394 yards, 3 TDs

Coker didn’t dominate headlines, but he dominated trust. Yes, McMillan stretched defenses vertically. That said, Coker became Young’s security blanket. He led the team in third-down conversions and punished zone coverage with surgical precision. His playoff performance said everything. Against the Rams, Coker erupted for 134 yards and a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown. He repeatedly bailed Carolina out of high-leverage situations.

Quarterback–receiver chemistry isn’t theoretical but lived. Coker understands Young’s timing, tendencies, and escape lanes. As an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, Carolina controls his future. However, settling for a one-year tender would be short-sighted. A multi-year deal locks in continuity and ensures Young’s two most trusted targets grow together instead of starting over.

RB Rico Dowdle

Key stats: 236 carries, 1,076 rushing yards, 7 total TDs

Dowdle was the backbone of Carolina’s offense. His second straight 1,000-yard season gave the Panthers a physical identity and kept defenses honest. He averaged 3.2 yards after contact per carry. That turned dead plays into manageable downs and making play-action viable. More importantly, Dowdle protected Young. His pass-blocking reliability allowed Canales to call deeper-developing concepts without fear.

This is about practicality. Dowdle understands the scheme, excels in pass protection, and provides three-down reliability. Letting him walk would force Carolina to spend premium draft capital fixing a problem that isn’t broken. It would also introduce risk to Young’s development at the most dangerous position to experiment.

S Nick Scott

Key stats: 111 tackles, 1 interception, 3 passes defensed

Nick Scott arrived on a one-year prove-it deal and became the nervous system of Ejiro Evero’s secondary. He played the deep eraser role, communicated coverages, and prevented the back-breaking explosives that plagued Carolina in prior seasons. In the playoffs, Scott’s intelligence showed up repeatedly. He broke on routes early, closed windows, and bought the defense precious seconds.

Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson give Carolina stability at corner. That said, a defense without a communicator at safety collapses under pressure. Scott knows Evero’s system and executes it with veteran precision. Re-signing him ensures continuity while the front office invests resources in the trenches and linebacker level.

Arrival or regression

The Panthers didn’t stumble into relevance but built it. Of course, relevance is fragile. Letting chemistry walk out the door in the name of novelty would be the fastest way to turn a breakthrough into a blip.

Re-signing Jalen Coker, Rico Dowdle, and Nick Scott isn’t flashy. It’s foundational. And for a franchise that finally knows who it is, protecting the core may be the most aggressive move of all.

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