MeowMix: A Carolina Panthers Podcast announced it would return after a brief hiatus following Carolina’s 16-13 upset win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Then, after facing significant backlash on social media, the hosts reversed course and said they wouldn’t be coming back after all.
“Even though we planned to record last week before the results against Green Bay, we won’t be recording due to overwhelming response from former players,” the hosts wrote. “We were just a small fun podcast since 2019 and needed a break from all the time we spent putting the show on.”
Even though we planned to record last week before the results against Green Bay, we won’t be recording due to overwhelming response from former players. We were just a small fun podcast since 2019 and needed a break from all the time we spent putting the show on. #KeepPounding
— MeowMix: A Carolina Panthers Podcast (@MeowMixPodcast) November 3, 2025
The original announcement came just weeks after hosts Stephen Costner and Jerry Dempster said they were stepping away from their weekly recording schedule. In early October, following a 42-13 loss to the New England Patriots, the duo announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus after six years covering the team.
“Unfortunately, the last three seasons in particular have been extremely difficult as Panthers fans, and creating the type of content we enjoy has not been as exciting or enjoyable,” the hosts wrote in their statement. “The amount of time on Sundays that we spend away from our wives and young children has become difficult to justify.”
They added that spending 6-7 hours every Sunday watching and discussing another blowout had become “more of a chore than anything else.”
Sunday’s victory over Green Bay seemed to have changed that calculation — at least for a few hours. The Panthers improved to 5-4 on the season, marking their first time above .500 since 2021. Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 49-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win.
The timing of the return announcement raised eyebrows across Panthers fandom. Costner and Dempster announced their hiatus on Oct. 1, immediately after the 42-13 loss to New England. At the time, Carolina sat at 1-3 after losing three straight games.
But the Panthers haven’t lost since with Bryce Young under center. Since the hiatus began, Carolina has gone 4-1, winning games against Atlanta (30-0), Dallas (30-27), New York Jets (13-6), and now Green Bay. The only loss in that span came in Week 8 against Buffalo, a 40-9 blowout in which backup quarterback Andy Dalton started while Young sat out with an ankle injury. Young returned for the Packers game.
In other words, the Panthers are 4-0 when Young starts since the podcast went dark. They’ve climbed from 1-3 to 5-4, suddenly finding themselves in playoff contention in the NFC South, which is exactly the kind of compelling storyline the hosts had been waiting for.
The return announcement drew sharp criticism on social media, with some accusing the hosts of being fairweather fans who only wanted to cover the team when it was winning.
DO NOT come back
EVER https://t.co/vSFIU3kS22 pic.twitter.com/PQh9bAuTq7
— 𓃮 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𓃮 (@CPPfanfromtheD) November 3, 2025
Weird coincidence: Panthers start winning the week you quit the pod. Now you’re coming back?
“We never quit on the team.” Bro, you quit your own podcast mid-season. This is like your girlfriend saying she didn’t leave, she just moved out for a month. 💀
Everyone’s welcome back.…
— Edwin (@BlueAndBlkLens) November 3, 2025
Noooooooooo you have to stay retired 😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/8DCzu5OmRc
— Not Dave Canales (@NotDaveCanales) November 2, 2025
Guysssss!!! Don’t be selfish now!! If you love us, DON’T COME BACK! We’re Undefeated when Bryce starts 4-0!! Boys, just take the season off your wives and families are most important men. Y’all Said it! This is a team sport, play y’all’s role!! 🥹🙏🏾#KeepPounding https://t.co/BBjl4wTnxq pic.twitter.com/1nGs9rIj2i
— Tre Boston (@TreBos10) November 2, 2025
Shameless, pathetic losers https://t.co/dQEezTwswR
— NYJ Matt (@NYJ_Matt) November 2, 2025
Should not be allowed sorry. https://t.co/92AYKgYFoC
— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) November 2, 2025
MEOW MIX!!!! FROM THE CLOUDS
WE WILL BE TUNING IN NO MATTER WHAT https://t.co/KEKeTau7XU
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) November 2, 2025
The backlash prompted the hosts to defend themselves in follow-up posts.
One host emphasized his loyalty to the franchise, noting he’s been a fan since the team entered the league in 1993. He clarified they didn’t quit on the Panthers; they quit recording every week.
In another post, the hosts said they’re planning to return on a reduced schedule, recording less than two to three times per week rather than their previous weekly format. They reiterated that they never abandoned the team.
We went on hiatus and plan to go less then 2 to 3 times a week
— MeowMix: A Carolina Panthers Podcast (@MeowMixPodcast) November 2, 2025
Even after defending themselves, the hosts have since reversed course. Despite announcing their return and initially planning to record before the Green Bay game, they posted an update saying they won’t be recording after all. That reversal came after former Panthers safety Tre Boston and other voices urged them to stay away, with some suggesting the team’s success correlated with the podcast’s absence.
Prior to the aforementioned hiatus, the hosts had spent six years chronicling one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises, investing several hours each week between watching film, outlining shows, recording, editing, and planning episodes.
That investment became harder to justify as the losses mounted under David Tepper’s ownership. Since purchasing the team in 2018, Tepper has cycled through six head coaches: Ron Rivera, Perry Fewell (interim), Matt Rhule, Steve Wilks (interim), Frank Reich, Chris Tabor (interim), and current coach Dave Canales.
The Panthers haven’t posted a winning record since 2017, the final year before Tepper’s purchase. They’ve won more than five games just twice in the past seven seasons. And against that backdrop, the hosts’ decision to step away made sense. MeowMix launched in July 2019 and built what they described as a “small but amazing community” around their coverage. But even the most dedicated fans have limits.
The Panthers are now 5-4 and sit in second place in the NFC South. They host the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.