5 difficult offseason decisions Carolina Panthers need to make in 2025
Dan Morgan has a big offseason ahead.
Dan Morgan steadied the ship during his first year as Carolina Panthers general manager. It wasn’t easy, but his long-term vision for the franchise and newfound professionalism got this once-downtrodden organization on the right track.
But the hard work is just getting started.
The Panthers are nowhere near the finished product. They ended the campaign well, but head coach Dave Canales only had five wins for his efforts. Carolina must make the right choices throughout the offseason to ensure further progress arrives next time around.
Morgan earned the trust of team owner David Tepper, which provided the Panthers with an eerie sense of calm fans aren’t used to. The project will get the necessary time to flourish. However, taking a step back is not an option.
Morgan faces big decisions in the coming months. Some will be relatively straightforward. Others will be tougher and could go either way right now.
With this in mind, here are five difficult offseason decisions the Panthers need to make in 2025. We’ll begin with the interesting dynamic on special teams.
Difficult offseason decisions for the Carolina Panthers in 2025
Special teams dynamic
This is an overlooked dilemma for the Carolina Panthers. The special teams unit has several key figures out of contract. Not everyone will come along for the ride in Year 2 under Dan Morgan’s guidance.
Long-snapper J.J. Jansen should have another deal waiting for him if the team’s longest-serving player wants to continue his playing career. The same goes for kick returner Raheem Blackshear, who carved out an impressive niche for himself, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro consideration along the way.
Veteran punter Johnny Hekker is playing well enough for a new contract, but there’s just no telling for sure. A situation could also emerge where the four-time All-Pro gets interest from a contending team that will be considered at this late stage of his NFL journey.
Eddy Pineiro’s future is hanging in the balance. The kicker was inconsistent and failed to come through in some critical situations for the Panthers in 2024. Fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the former Florida star, so expect Morgan and his staff to examine potential alternatives when the recruitment period commences.
Standing pat with their current options cannot be completely dismissed. However, that should not stop Morgan from upgrading the special teams unit if the right opportunities come along.
It’ll be interesting to see which players stay and who take their chances elsewhere.
Austin Corbett’s future
The Carolina Panthers offensive line quickly emerged as a real success story throughout the campaign. Dan Morgan invested heavily in the protection in front of quarterback Bryce Young and it paid off handsomely. Once the signal-caller shook off the confidence issues and trusted the revamped unit, it didn’t take long for things to improve.
It wasn’t all good news.
The Panthers were dealt a blow when starting center Austin Corbett was ruled out for the season with a torn bicep early in the campaign. This was a significant loss when one considers how well the former second-round pick transitioned to the anchor role after spending the majority of his career at the right guard spot.
Corbett played 291 snaps, giving up one sack and one penalty. His 66.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 21st out of 64 qualifying centers. He’s got plenty of talent, but there are other factors to consider before an extension arrives.
This is the third straight year where Corbett’s season ended way ahead of time due to injury. The Panthers will take that into account before making a firm decision regarding the Nevada product’s status in 2025.
It’s also worth remembering how well Cade Mays played in Corbett’s absence. Giving him another one-year, prove-it deal should be considered. At the same time, the Panthers could either move forward with Mays or find someone with fewer red flags on the health front.
Carolina Panthers’ investment balance
Dan Morgan opted to transition the team’s primary investments to the offensive side of things during his first offseason at the helm. The Panthers need to get a genuine evaluation of quarterback Bryce Young for good or bad. That meant fortifying the options around him and giving the No. 1 overall selection in 2023 a fighting chance of carving out a career for himself.
It took longer than expected, but Young showed signs of life over the second half of 2024. Surrounding the signal-caller with enhanced pass-catchers should be high on Morgan’s list of priorities. But the investment balance must be more equal after a woeful defensive campaign.
The Panthers gave up the most points in NFL history. Their run defense under Ejiro Evero was the league’s worst and the coordinator didn’t have the correct personnel to adjust anything. Carolina is keeping faith, so giving the coach’s options a drastic makeover is essential.
Finding the right balance is crucial. The Panthers need to bolster their available financial resources to find instant difference-makers, which is a task for salary-cap guru Brandt Tilis. Carolina also has nine draft picks at its disposal to find long-term solutions for ongoing complications.
If Morgan can get this right, the Panthers will be better off in 2025. It will also put the onus squarely on Evero to make progress.
Shaq Thompson’s future
Dan Morgan is running the Carolina Panthers with more purpose and professionalism. He’s also removed any sentiment from his decision-making process.
He’s interested in one thing and one thing only. Morgan wants to make the Panthers a force to be reckoned with again. The Panthers are starting to win back respect around the league. Taking the next step into NFC South title contention and even postseason consideration is a different challenge entirely.
Expect Morgan’s business-first model to continue. What that means for the future of veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson remains to be seen, but it’s a tricky conundrum for the Panthers’ front-office leader that nobody knows the answer to right now.
Thompson is one of the team’s longest-serving players and a respected leader in the locker room. The former first-round selection is currently working his way back from a torn Achilles — the second long-term injury in as many years for the second-level presence. This provides Morgan with a dilemma.
Does he reward Thompson’s previous loyalty to the franchise with a one-year, prove-it deal? Or does he take this opportunity to find someone younger via free agency or the draft to fill the void?
Thompson wants to stay and feels like he has a lot of good football left. But much will depend on the money involved and the medical assessments regarding his recovery timeline.
Carolina Panthers’ backup QB dilemma
As mentioned previously, the Panthers were thrilled with Bryce Young’s resolve to bounce back from adversity over the second half of 2024. Benching was a big call for head coach Dave Canales so early into his tenure. It paid off in the best way imaginable.
Young was confident, poised, and precise. He played with a smile on his face and displayed leadership qualities that his teammates willingly got behind. The Panthers have already confirmed his status as the team’s starting signal-caller in 2025. That is the best-case scenario in no uncertain terms.
Canales and his coaches deserve praise for how they handled this situation. Veteran backup Andy Dalton also played a significant role in Young’s renaissance.
Dalton was the starter after Young’s benching. However, he never wavered in his support of the second-year pro, building on their already close relationship and steering him through some turbulent waters. The results spoke for themselves.
That leaves the Panthers facing a difficult decision regarding Dalton’s fate. Retaining him on a contract extension seems feasible considering his close connection to Young and the need to keep continuity around the Alabama product. But he wants to start — something that could result in the Pro Bowler taking his chances elsewhere.
If this scenario comes to fruition, the Panthers must find another veteran backup to support Young entering a critical Year 3 of his professional career.
