Although a winning campaign continues to elude the team, the Carolina Panthers are definitely a franchise on the rise. It wasn’t long ago that this franchise owned the worst record in the NFL, finishing 2-15 in 2023. Enter new head coach Dave Canales in 2024, and the club proceeded to drop seven of its first eight games under his command. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images However, led by suddenly-rejuvenated quarterback Bryce Young, the team won four of its final nine games that year and finished 5–12. This past season, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft would start all but one contest. All told, the Panthers would be one of three teams in the division to finish 8-9, and thanks to a combined 3-1 record vs. the rival Atlanta Falcons (2-0) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1), Carolina walked away with its first NFC South title since 2015. The team made its first playoff appearance since 2017 and lost a 34-31 heartbreaker to the visiting Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round.…