The 2023 season was the Carolina Panthers' 29th in the National Football League (NFL), their third and final under the leadership of general managerScott Fitterer and their only under head coachFrank Reich. The Panthers started 0–6 for the first time since 1998. Following the team's Week 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, not only did the Panthers fail to improve upon their 7–10 record from 2022, but they also fired Reich and named Chris Tabor as interim head coach.[1] Reich's firing marks the third firing of a head coach in five years and the second firing in two years for the franchise. Following a Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention for the sixth consecutive season.[2]
The team acquired the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft from the Chicago Bears in a trade involving wide receiver D. J. Moore,[3] which they used to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.[4] Young is the third quarterback drafted by the Panthers in the first round, following Kerry Collins in 1995, and Cam Newton in 2011 (also taken first overall). As a result of the deal, the Bears ended up getting the #1 overall pick from Carolina in the 2024 Draft, and selected QB Caleb Williams.
In Weeks 17 and 18, they were shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars[5] and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming the first team since the 2008 Cleveland Browns to be shutout in back-to-back games.[6] They finished with a poor 2–15 record, the worst record in the league, and tying the 2001 team for most losses in a regular season.[7] The Panthers dubiously failed to hold a fourth quarter lead in any game during the season, with both of their wins coming on game-winning field goals as time expired with the team trailing by 1 point beforehand.[8]
^ abCarolina acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears in exchange for wide receiver D. J. Moore, the No. 9 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in the 2023 draft, a first-round pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025.
^San Francisco traded second, third, and fourth-round selections and a 2024 fifth-round selection to Carolina in exchange for running back Christian McCaffrey.
^ abCarolina traded a sixth-round selection to New England in exchange for cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
^Carolina traded a seventh-round selection and a 2024 sixth-round selection to Jacksonville in exchange for wide receiver Laviska Shenault.
In the Panthers' opening drive, they came close to scoring, but when they went for it on the fourth down, Atlanta stopped them. On their next drive, after two penalties, rookie Bryce Young's pass was intercepted by the Falcons' Jessie Bates. The Falcons scored first when a Desmond Ridder to Bijan Robinson 11-yard pass resulted in a touchdown. Carolina got the ball back, and Young passed it to Hayden Hurst for 4 yards, who tied the game at 7–7. The Panthers only scored three points in the second half during an Eddy Piñeiro 43-yard field goal, while Atlanta scored 17, including two Tyler Allgeier touchdowns. Carolina lost the game in an embarrassing 10–24 and started the season 0–1.
In the Panthers' home opener, both Carolina and New Orleans scored a field goal in the first quarter. In the second, the Saints scored another field goal. Later, Vonn Bell intercepted the ball from Derek Carr. As the Panthers approach the end zone, Bryce Young is sacked, and the ball is knocked out of his hands. New Orleans recovers the ball. Carolina ties it in the third. The Saints follow with a touchdown. In the fourth, the Panthers kicked another field goal. With 3:14 to go, New Orleans scores a touchdown. The Panthers try to come back at the end with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but it was not enough. The Saints beat the Panthers 20–17, and Carolina starts off the season 0–2. This loss gave the Panthers their fourth 0–2 start in five seasons.
On the Vikings' opening drive, as they were about to score, Sam Franklin intercepted the ball and scored a 99-yard pick-six. In the beginning of the second, Eddy Piñeiro made a field goal, giving Carolina a 10–0 lead. Minnesota decreased the lead with a Justin Jefferson touchdown. At the end of the half, Kirk Cousins threw another interception to Carolina's Kamu Grugier-Hill. Piñeiro made another field goal, giving Carolina a 13–7 lead at the half. In the third, Bryce Young lost the ball on a strip sack and Minnesota's D.J. Wonnum recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a one-point lead. The Vikings would add another touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Cousins to Jefferson, and Minnesota's defense held on in the fourth quarter to secure a 21–13 victory.
It was a scoreless first quarter for both Carolina and Houston. In the second quarter, Houston scored with a touchdown. With less than two minutes to go in the half, Bryce Young passes it to Tommy Tremble for a touchdown but the PAT is no good. Early in the third, Eddy Piñeiro kicked a field goal giving the Panthers a two-point lead. Houston fumbles the ball and it is recovered by the Panthers. Piñeiro makes another field goal. Texans follow with a touchdown but the attempt for a two-point conversion is no good. With three seconds to go in the game, Piñeiro kicks the game winning field goal and Panthers win 15–13. They improve to 1–6.
In Carolina's second drive of the game, Ihmir Smith-Marsette scores a 79-yard punt return touchdown. Chicago follows with a field goal. At the top of the second, Eddy Piñeiro kicks a field goal. The Bears scored at the end of the second, giving Carolina a 10–9 lead at the half. Chicago is the first to score in the second half with a touchdown by former Panther, D'Onta Foreman. Panthers kick another field goal early in the fourth. The Bears defeat Carolina 16–13, and the Panthers fall to 1–8.
This turned out to be Frank Reich's last game as head coach of the Panthers, as he was fired the next day after this loss. Also shortly after the game, general manager David Tepper was heard shouting an f-bomb as he was leaving the Panthers locker room.
The Panthers travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. In a stunning fashion, the Panthers lose 28-6 and got swept by the Saints for the first time since 2020.
The Panthers were shut out for the first time since Week 14 of the 2002 season. With this loss, the Panthers dropped to 2-14 and locked up the league's worst record for the third time ever (following the 2001 and 2010 seasons), giving the Chicago Bears the no. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The Panthers ended their atrocious season with a second straight shutout, becoming the first team since the 2008 Cleveland Browns to be shut out in back-to-back games. With this loss, the Panthers finished with the NFL's worst record at 2-15 (the first such record since the league expanded to 17 games in 2021).
^ abcSan Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record.
^ abDallas finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^ abTampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.)
^ abcGreen Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record.
^ abGreen Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
^ abMinnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below).
^ abMinnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.)
^ abChicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory.
^ abWashington finished ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
