The NFC South hasn’t crowned a true power in years. Instead, it’s become a weekly exercise in survival. And last season was the clearest example yet.
No team reached double-digit wins. Three teams finished 8-9. And the Carolina Panthers backed into the postseason only after tiebreakers sorted out a mess created by a chaotic Week 18.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was revealing.
The division is no longer about chasing an elite standard. It’s about who can stabilize first. That reality is exactly why the Panthers enter the 2026 offseason staring at a wide-open opportunity.