We’ve looked at what the ceiling and floor is for this 2024 Carolina Panthers team as far as wins and losses are concerned, but sometimes the overall record doesn’t tell the full story.

So putting the record thing aside, here’s how what I see being the team’s best and worst-case scenario this season, as written in our most recent ON SI roundtable.

Best-Case Scenario

The Panthers find an identity and compete for the NFC South title. Last year, the coaching staff couldn’t tell you the team’s offensive identity, even in Week 18. If Carolina is able to identify that in the first month or so of the season, it’ll be in the mix for the division, which could be won with a losing record. Anything beyond winning the division is just icing on the cake.

Worst-Case Scenario

Bryce Young fails to show signs of being a franchise quarterback. As a rookie, Young was set up for failure. He had no protection, no one to throw the ball to outside of Adam Thielen, and a coaching staff that was not on the same page. This offseason, they hired a QB whisperer in Dave Canales, spent $154 million on the offensive line, and added several receivers. If Young fails in this environment, Carolina is in trouble. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you swung and missed on the number one overall pick.