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The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South and clinched a playoff spot with an 8-9 record, making the postseason for the first time since 2017. Not everyone is sold on their run, but safety Nick Scott made it clear the team does not care how it looks from the outside.
“As hard as we fight, and as much as we put in this game, you never feel unworthy of anything,” said Scott.
#Panthers S Nick Scott on people feeling the 8-9 Panthers are “unworthy” of their playoff berth:
“As hard as we fight, and as much as we put in this game, you never feel unworthy of anything.” pic.twitter.com/Bcn35tTVQ1
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) January 10, 2026
Carolina claimed the division even after losing 16-14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final week. The Atlanta Falcons’ win over the New Orleans Saints created a three-team tie that worked in the Panthers’ favor.
It is the first time since at least 1990 that a team reached the playoffs with a losing record after losing its final game. Now, Carolina will host the 12-5 Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round at Bank of America Stadium.
The Panthers finished the season with a minus-69 point differential, the fourth-worst ever for a playoff team. They reached the postseason through a three-team tiebreaker and needed help to get there.
Scott, in his second season with the Panthers, said the record means nothing once the playoffs start. He pointed out that he has seen teams counted out before go on to beat higher-seeded opponents. Scott said the Panthers earned their spot and that outside opinions do not matter.
“Clean slate. Record doesn’t matter. You know, in my time, I’ve seen teams that ‘had no business’ being in the playoffs and knocked somebody off in the first round. So I don’t care how I get in, I just want to get in as somebody who’s gone the distance.”
“All I’m looking for is a chance, you know, because that’s hard to do. And if we get in, and we’re division winners, we’re deserving of it, period. … I don’t care what anybody has to say about it. We’re supposed to be there,” Scott added.
After years of losing seasons, the locker room believes this team has a real chance, even as it prepares to face Scott’s former team, the Rams. Now they are focused on what comes next.
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