Gang Green Nation
The Carolina Panthers improved from a two-win team in 2023 to 5-12 last year and are already 3-3 this season as they look to take the next step. They’ll be looking to head into week eight with a winning record by inflicting another defeat on the winless Jets on Sunday.
The teams last met in the 2021 opener when Sam Darnold overcame Zach Wilson in his NFL debut to get the win over his previous team. Things have changed a lot for both teams since then, though.
Let’s break down the Panthers’ roster going position by position:
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young perhaps hasn’t lived up to his draft status after being the top overall pick in 2023, but he’s progressing each season and is putting up slightly better numbers than last year in 2025.
He is currently 6th in the NFC with 10 touchdown passes but has been under 200 passing yards in all but one of the Panthers’ games so far.
Andy Dalton in in his 3rd year in Carolina, where he has made six starts in the past two seasons as the backup.
Offensive Line
Once again, the Jets are facing a team who been forced into some changes on their offensive line. Center Austin Corbett and pro bowl right guard Robert Hunt began the season as starters but are currently on injured reserve. In addition, Chandler Zavala, who started two games in place of Hunt, is also on injured reserve.
This week, Corbett could potentially be activated as he’s been practicing and was given a questionable designation on Friday. However, left guard Damien Lewis is also questionable after being limited with a biceps injury during the week.
Cade Mays has been starting at center, having also done a decent job as Corbett’s replacement last season when he suffered a season-ending injury in the fifth game. Alongside him, Brady Christiansen has been starting at right guard since Zavala was injured.
Lewis, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton all started last season too, so the continuity is not bad. Ekwonu is making progress after an up and down rookie year that saw him commit 12 penalties and surrender seven sacks. Moton, who is also listed as questionable for Sunday, has spent his whole career with the Panthers since they drafted him in 2017, and he’s their highest paid player this year.
Nick Samac is the next man up at center with Jake Curhan at guard and Yosh Nijman at tackle.
Running Backs
Star running back Chuba Hubbard will return from injury this weekend to form a two-headed monster with Rico Dowdle. The pair each rushed for a thousand yards last year, with Dowdle still in Dallas.
While Hubbard was out, Dowdle had the two best games of his career with 203 yards against Miami and 183 against his old team. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry for the season.
Rookie Trevor Etienne, a fourth round pick, hasn’t seen much action but is averaging over five yards per...
