The Carolina Panthers are still in the thick of the NFC South race despite a really disappointing loss on Monday night. It dropped them to a half-game back of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom the Panthers have two more matchups.
A division title is certainly within reach, but it's getting harder and harder to envision them getting that crown this year. For now, the South is a two-man race, but the Panthers may fade fast for one key reason, one insider claims.
Injuries may be to blame for Panthers failure to win NFC South
Nick Scot
Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
The Carolina Panthers lost on Monday night for a few reasons. Bad quarterback play was partly to blame, although Bryce Young wasn't nearly as bad as his stat line might suggest. Bad coaching was more to blame, but it also wasn't solely responsible.
Injuries played a big role, and one insider believes they're going to keep the Panthers from even having a shot to snag the division title they've sought since 2015.
"In the early goings [of MNF], it felt like Carolina might pull off the upset. Then, cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Cory Thornton left the game with injuries, and San Francisco started to pull away," Bleacher Report's NFL staff wrote.
"The Panthers were already without linebackers Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom, who were inactive. Up next are the white-hot Los Angeles Rams, and if the Carolina defense isn't significantly healthier, it can pretty much forget about catching Tampa before its Week 14 bye," they finished.
Thornton and Horn are hardly the only players that left last night. Chandler Zavala left, and the Panthers' offensive line has already been ravaged by injuries. Linebacker Krys Barnes, elevated from the practice squad, left the game.
So did Claudin Cherilus. It was an ugly game, and the injuries kind of summed it all up. But moving forward, they will be costly. The Panthers are already facing a major disadvantage against the NFL's best team, the Los Angeles Rams, but if Horn isn't out there, it's going to be a long game.
The defense has been brutalized by injuries, and it's very plausible that the Panthers have to trot out backup cornerbacks, safeties (Tre'von Moehrig may get suspended), linebackers, and more. Sean McVay is probably licking his chops right now, and another loss might really destroy Carolina's playoff chances.
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