The Panthers are the All-Time Best of the Worst

Dubious honors are the best we have right now

The 2023 NFL season is nothing short of depressing for fans of the Carolina Panthers. Big changes happened in the offseason and the organization worked overtime to sell us on an All-Star coaching staff, the most pro-ready rookie quarterback of, seemingly, all time, and never again picking in the top ten of the draft.

The only one of those goals they are going to accomplish, for at least a year, is never again picking the top 10 of the draft thanks to their not owning their own first-round pick next year—the odds-on favorite to be the first overall pick. Way to go, fellas.

As a break from all of their regularly scheduled hot air, I bring you a quick programming note on the NFC South that I find truly hilarious: They are the losingest division in the NFL by percentage of games played. All four NFC South teams are in the bottom 10 of all-time winning percentage. The Panthers are the winningest team (again, by percentage) in the NFC South and thus can be confidently crowned as the All-Time Best of the Worst in the National Football League.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.404)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (0.420)
3. Arizona Cardinals (0.426)
4. Houston Texans (0.434)
5. Atlanta Falcons (0.438)
6. New York Jets (0.440)
7. Detroit Lions (0.453)
8. Cincinnati Bengals (0.454)
9. New Orleans Saints (0.467)
10. Carolina Panthers (0.472)

No other division has more than two teams in the bottom 10 and only one, the AFC South, has that many. The Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars join the NFC South in having neighbors in the cellar.

To throw some fun fuel on the fire, and because I know you’re going to do this in the comment anyways, let’s look at what that was in 2017. The team’s overall record before David Tepper bought the team was 182-177, or 0.507. Percentage wise, that’s good for 16th on the current list.

To make it even more fun, the Panthers have to win two more games this season to stay ahead of a .500 Saints team. Otherwise, their tenure as All-Time Best of the Worst will be short lived.