The 2026 NFL season will mark Dave Canales’s third year as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers . He inherited a 2-15 team and thanks to a strong second-half showing, the club finished with three more wins (5) than it had in 2023. That was also the case this past season. The Panthers improved to 8-9, overcoming an 0-2 start, and edged out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South title thanks to a tiebreaker. President of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan continues to bolster both sides of the football. In terms of the offense, there will be new faces at left tackle (Rasheed Walker and/or Monroe Freeling) and center (Luke Fortner and/or Sam Hecht). Morgan also used a third-round pick to add speedy wideout Chris Brazzell II, joining 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette.…