After an 8-9 season, an NFC South title, and a narrow wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Carolina Panthers enter the 2026 offseason with real momentum. But there is also real financial pressure.
Because of incentives and escalators baked into contracts, the Panthers’ effective cap space has tightened to $12.57 million with 54 players under contract. Carolina can’t approach this offseason pretending they have flexibility. They have to create it. The most obvious place to start is their high earners, who are part of the franchise's fabric.
Robert Hunt is scheduled to carry a cap hit of $24.