The Carolina Panthers have not been to the playoffs since the 2017 season. That’s a drought of seven years, exceeded only by the New York Jets as an active streak. But that could come to an end in a matter of days, and Panthers greats like Cam Newton are finally feeling pride for their former team.
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The Panthers are a young franchise, and they’ve had a couple of great stretches, but also some pretty bad ones. They hadn’t won a playoff game in five years when they drafted Newton No. 1 overall in 2011. He brought with him a new era of success, including a run to the Super Bowl in 2015.
However, since Newton’s departure, Panthers fans have seen possibly their worst run of football. Under owner David Tepper, who bought the team in 2018, they have been arguably the worst team in the NFL. But in 2025, they could change all of that with an NFC South title. The encouraging season for Carolina has Newton feeling “nostalgic.”
“Man, that’s nostalgic,” admitted Newton on his podcast, 4th & 1. “As a member of the Panthers, seeing the culture shift, and being a part of that, hits a little different. Man, what Carolina did for me to immortalize that 2015 team, and other great players.”
Newton went on to reminisce about all the Panthers greats that he was able to share the field with during his decade with the club from 2011-2019.
“Bro, I’ve played with every Panther great,” said Newton. “I’ve played with Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, Luke Kuechley, Thomas Davis, Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil, Charles Johnson, Captain Munnerlyn, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, DeAngelo Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Stewart, J.J. Jansen.”
“My era of playing awarded me so much history that now looking at that video gives me goosebumps and chills. Because I was a part of it when the stadium was empty,” Newton added.
Newton continued his trip down memory lane, reminding everyone of a time when the Panthers couldn’t even get Carolina fans to come to their games back in the day.
“I was a part of when the stadium had more Washington Redskins jerseys, Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys, and Dallas Cowboys jerseys, even when we wasn’t even playing those teams. I took it offensive,” Newton said as he reminisced, before adding,
“So to see where it’s at now shows Bryce Young, it shows David Tepper, that if you win in Carolina, you have a city, a state, two states, that will back you… Anything great takes time, and I’m pleased and proud to watch from afar in appreciation to seeing what could potentially be a playoff berth.”
Cam watching his @Panthers finally make the push😳
“I saw the stadium empty… and I saw it filled with everybody else’s jerseys.”
Winning changes everything. pic.twitter.com/h3I1QuowKv
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) January 3, 2026
And the Panthers, who are 8-8, have a great chance at getting in the postseason. If they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday afternoon, they’re in. But even if they lose, there is a chance that they still take the division: if the Atlanta Falcons also beat the New Orleans Saints, there would be a three-way tiebreaker for first in the division at 8-9, which would give the Panthers the crown anyway.
It would be their first division title since Newton’s 2015 MVP season, when Carolina went an NFL-best 15-1.
