The Panthers are 8-8 entering the final game of the 2025 campaign. With a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Carolina can claim its first division title since 2015 and first playoff spot since 2017.

While the 27-10 home-finale loss to the Seattle Seahawks was a major disappointment, the Panthers still control their destiny entering Week 18. That outlook, after seven years without a playoff appearance, is a positive sign for a young team looking to compete for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, as the Panthers enter the final week of the regular season, it’s worth acknowledging the major standouts who helped get them to this point. Last week, The Charlotte Observer polled 63 players to get their votes for the team’s offensive, defensive and special teams MVPs of the season.

As with the previous two annual award polls, players had to be on the 53-man roster, practice squad and/or injured reserve for at least four weeks this season to receive a vote. The players couldn’t vote for themselves, and they only had one vote for each of the three categories.

Quarterback Bryce Young abstained from voting for a third consecutive season, and the total number of voters remained relatively the same as last year (64 in 2024 vs. 63 in 2025).

Below are The Charlotte Observer’s Panthers MVP awards (as voted on by the Carolina locker room):

Panthers’ offensive MVP: QB Bryce Young

Votes: 51

Stats: Completed 280 of 443 passes (63.2%) for 2,745 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions (87.0 passer rating); 52 carries for 217 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Signature game: at Atlanta Falcons (Week 11): Completed 31 of 45 passes for a team-record 448 yards and three touchdowns while leading six scoring drives, including the game-winning series in overtime.

Analysis: Young has come a long way in this annual poll since his rookie campaign in 2023. He received zero votes from the locker room in the first edition of this poll before receiving the runner-up status last season with 15 votes.

This year, he bested the runner-up by 45 votes. It helped that he had thrown for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the previous five games heading into the voting process. Obviously, the 54-yard passing performance against the Seahawks hadn’t taken place yet.

Young deserves recognition for the way he has turned things around (for the most part) in the second half of the season. However, it was a bit surprising to see him absolutely run away with the offensive MVP award given how the season started.

The third-year quarterback has been up and down throughout most of the year. Still, he won just six games as a starter in his first two seasons, and in 2025 alone, he’s got an 8-7 record as a starter. That’s not too shabby for the third-year QB.

Panthers’ offensive runner-up: RB Rico Dowdle

Votes: 6

Stats: 229 carries for 1,066 rushing yards (4.7 YPC) and six touchdowns; 37 catches for 277 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Signature game: at Green Bay Packers (Week 9): 25 carries for 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns; two catches for 11 yards.

Analysis: Dowdle’s homecoming has been a success story for the Panthers this season.

The former Dallas Cowboys running back got off to a slow start as a backup during the first month. But when Chuba Hubbard was struck with a lingering calf injury, Dowdle stepped up in a big way.

A breakout performance in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins led to a string of strong performances from the Gaffney, South Carolina, native. He warned the Cowboys to be prepared for his revenge game in Week 6, and Dowdle delivered with a signature outing for the Panthers (185 rushing yards, 56 receiving yards and a touchdown). In Week 9, he had his viral moment at Lambeau Field as he scored twice in a 16-13 win and got fined for a “two pumps” celebration against the Packers

After mimicking a sketch from the TV show, “Key & Peele,” Dowdle decided to raise money for charity in the wake of his NFL fine, and comedian Keegan Michael-Key helped him raise $45,000 for a local organization that supports child adoption services.

Dowdle became the full-time starting running back down the stretch of the season. While he hasn’t been as effective as he was during the middle of the year, he’s still surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and produced a career-high six rushing touchdowns this season.

Dowdle will be a free agent (again) in March. And this season should serve as a worthwhile notice to the open market.

Others who received votes: WR Tetairoa McMillan, C Cade Mays, WR Jalen Coker

Observer staff picks

Scott Fowler: QB Bryce Young

Mike Kaye: WR Tetairoa McMillan

Alex Zietlow: RB Rico Dowdle

Panthers’ defensive MVP: DE Derrick Brown

Votes: 39

Stats: 60 tackles (five for loss), seven pass breakups, five sacks and a forced fumble.

Signature game: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Week 13): Two tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and the game-sealing forced fumble.

Analysis: Brown not making the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster is a joke.

He leads all NFL defensive linemen with seven pass breakups through 16 games. He’s also collected a career-high five sacks this season.

Beyond those individual numbers, Brown has been notably effective against the run. There’s a reason why the Panthers have improved significantly against opposing rushing attacks this season, and Brown is frankly at the center of that success. After missing all but one game last year, Brown has returned from meniscus surgery without missing a beat.

Brown is now a two-time Processing Blue Defensive MVP (as voted by his teammates). He’s the first Panthers player to place first in multiple years in the annual locker-room poll.

Panthers’ defensive runner-up: CB Jaycee Horn

Votes: 19

Stats: 37 tackles, eight pass breakups and five interceptions.

Signature game: at New York Jets (Week 7): One tackle and two second-half interceptions, including a pick with 4:34 remaining in the game.

Analysis: Horn — last year’s Defensive MVP — is having a career season.

Now a back-to-back Pro Bowl selection, Horn has produced a career-high five interceptions through 15 games. He’s also stayed relatively healthy, missing just one game due to a concussion.

The former South Carolina Gamecocks defender has produced two interceptions in two different games this year. He’s also become a face of the franchise and a leader in the locker room after signing a four-year, $100 million extension in March.

Others who received votes: DB Tre’von Moehrig, OLB Nic Scourton

Observer staff picks

Scott Fowler: CB Jaycee Horn

Mike Kaye: DE Derrick Brown

Alex Zietlow: DE Derrick Brown

Panthers’ special teams MVP: OLB Thomas Incoom

Votes: 22

Stats: 15 special teams tackles (team-leading total)

Signature game: at Green Bay Packers (Week 9): Tackled kick returner Savion Williams at the Green Bay 16-yard line with 2:08 left in the third quarter following a rushing touchdown by running back Rico Dowdle and a missed extra point by kicker Ryan Fitzgerald.

Analysis: Incoom, a third-year linebacker, is considered the team’s best kickoff and punt coverage defender.

He plays with a relentless motor, and his ability to get down the field in a hurry is coveted by the coaching staff. While his tenacity has led to the occasional penalty, his teammates clearly value his toughness and grit.

Incoom had an encouraging training camp and preseason as a pass rusher. And as he gets ready to enter his fourth season, he could develop beyond being a special teams ace.

He is a pending restricted free agent in March.

Panthers’ special teams runner-up: K Ryan Fitzgerald

Votes: 19

Stats: 24 of 28 on field goals (85.7%), including 2 of 4 beyond 50 yards (50%); 25 of 28 on extra points (89.2%).

Signature game: vs. Dallas Cowboys (Week 6): 3-of-3 on field goals and 3-of-3 on extra points. He hit from 55 yards out in the second quarter and made the game-winning 33-yard attempt as time expired for a walk-off victory.

Analysis: The rookie kicker has been dependable throughout the majority of the season.

After finishing up a strong college career at Florida State, Fitzgerald signed with the Panthers and won a kicking competition against Matthew Wright this summer. He’s gone on to make four game-winning field goals this year.

Fitzgerald has earned the trust of his teammates and the staff, and his work on kickoffs hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s done a nice job of reaching the landing zone and pinning opponents in suboptimal outlooks on kickoffs all year long.

Others who received votes: WR Brycen Tremayne, LS JJ Jansen, P Sam Martin, RB Trevor Etienne, LB Bam Martin-Scott

Observer staff picks

Scott Fowler: K Ryan Fitzgerald

Mike Kaye: P Sam Martin

Alex Zietlow: K Ryan Fitzgerald

Inside Look

A marsh-front SC home is selling for $5.5M in this desirable historic area near Charleston

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99

#ReadLocal