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The Carolina Panthers are ready to take a big step forward during the 2025 NFL season. Carolina did not have a great 2024 campaign, but it did end on a high note. The Panthers only won five games, but looked competitive down the back stretch of the regular season. Carolina even logged a huge upset win against Atlanta in Week 18.
Panthers fans have the right to feel optimistic after an eventful 2025 offseason.
Carolina added several playmakers during NFL free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. The Panthers made their biggest acquisitions during the draft itself.
Now the Panthers have a foundation of young players who can develop alongside QB Bryce Young. If some of these young players make a leap forward this fall, the Panthers could look like a frisky team.
Which Panthers rookies will have the biggest roles during the 2025 season? And will they threaten take jobs away from any veteran Panthers players?
Below we will explore three Panthers veterans whose roles could be challenged by rookies during the 2025 NFL season.
The Panthers have incredibly high hopes for Tetairoa McMillan.
Carolina drafted McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. McMillan was viewed as one of the best receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft, though that does not mean as much as it has in past seasons.
McMillan is a talented receiver, but he rose to become a top-10 pick in part because of the scarcity of top playmakers in this year’s draft.
Regardless, the Panthers were thrilled to draft a player who should become their WR1 of the future.
It was inevitable that some young receiver would finally come around and beat Adam Thielen for the WR1 job in Carolina.
Thielen survived a situation like this last year, maintaining his role as WR1 in Carolina despite the addition of rookie Xavier Legette. Unfortunately, this time looks a lot different.
Thielen took a huge step back during the 2024 season. He was a machine in 2023, logging 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. It was shocking when he only managed 48 receptions for 615 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.
Part of this change was schematic. The Panthers leaned into their run-first philosophy in 2024, partially because of the emergence of Chuba Hubbard as a bell cow back.
Another part could be age, as Thielen is now 34 years old and set to turn 35 before the end of the 2025 season.
It will be fascinating to see how involved Thielen is in Carolina’s offense later this fall.
It is odd to call Moehrig a Panthers veteran because he just joined the team this offseason.
Still, Moehrig brings a veteran presence to Carolina’s secondary that is sorely needed.
The Panthers clearly brought Moehrig in with a plan for how to use him. He projects as a full-time starter in 2025...
