Now that July has arrived, the Carolina Panthers are preparing for the 2025 season and training camp. As part of their preparations, they are evaluating their opponents for the upcoming season, starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Panthers will face the Buccaneers in Week 16 in Charlotte on December 21 and again in Week 18 in Tampa. Historically, the Panthers lead the series against the Buccaneers with an overall record of 25-24.
In last year’s matchups, the Buccaneers narrowly defeated the Panthers 26-23 in Charlotte during Week 13. In that game, Bryce Young connected with Adam Thielen for a potential game-winning touchdown before Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield led his team to a game-tying field goal. The Buccaneers secured victory after a fumble by Chuba Hubbard in overtime. In their Week 17 meeting in Tampa, the Buccaneers dominated with a score of 48-14 against an injury-depleted Panthers defense.
The Buccaneers finished last season with a record of 10-7 and ranked third in total offense and eighteenth in total defense. They have made several key personnel moves this offseason. In free agency, they re-signed Lavonte David and Chris Godwin while adding Haason Reddick, Anthony Walker, and Riley Dixon to their roster. Their draft picks include Emeka Egbuka, Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish, and David Walker.
For the third consecutive year, the Buccaneers will have a new offensive coordinator as Liam Coen left for a head coach position in Jacksonville after Dave Canales moved to the Panthers. Josh Grizzard takes over as offensive coordinator for his first time calling plays.
The team remains stable at the top of NFC South standings under coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht who were both extended following another successful season.
Looking ahead to 2025, former Panther Baker Mayfield is now leading Tampa Bay’s offense with significant success after throwing 41 touchdowns last year. Another former Panther Haason Reddick is also expected to make an impact despite having only one sack last season with the Jets.
The Panthers aim to challenge Tampa Bay’s dominance by strengthening their own defensive lineup while maintaining stability on offense.
