What the Panthers should hope for from their 2026 schedule release

The Carolina Panthers are entering their third year under head coach Dave Canales. And so far, the story has been one of slow starts but strong finishes. In both of Canales' first two seasons, the Panthers started 1-3—putting them in a brutal hole right out of the gate.

While they managed to climb themselves out in 2025 to grab an NFC South championship , Carolina probably wants to avoid taking yet another early fall. So, how can they avoid those first-month woes? According to Bryan DeArdo at CBS Sports , the Panthers should be hoping to face cold-weather opponents early on their schedule: The Panthers face one of the league's toughest schedules, partly because of four road games against cold-weather teams, including Green Bay.

Carolina would undoubtedly prefer to get these games out of the way earlier in the season (especially Green Bay). Obviously, playing at Lambeau Field in September is preferable to December. Carolina did manage to upset Green Bay on the road last year, off a 16-13 win in early November.

They'll also have to hit the road for the Cleveland Browns , Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. Other cold-weather teams who are slated to visit the Panthers at some point this season include the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. The earlier the Panthers face these teams in Charlotte's brutally humid late-summer conditions, the better.