2023 Carolina Panthers Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

It's been an offseason of change for the Carolina Panthers.

The team hired Frank Reich to take over as head coach. The Panthers swung a huge trade to land the top overall pick in the draft and take quarterback Bryce Young following the struggles of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker last year. They added offensive playmakers in free agency like running back Miles Sanders, wideouts Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark and tight end Hayden Hurst.

"We mean business," Reich told reporters in late March regarding those moves. "We're making the steps necessary to continue to improve this team. ... It's all about having playmakers."

The key, of course, will be how Young fares, as he'll be expected to start immediately while Andy Dalton serves as a veteran backup and mentor. If Young hits the ground running, the Panthers could be a legitimate threat to win a wide-open NFC South.

Let's break down the schedule the Panthers will face as Young learns the ropes.

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Panthers' 2023 Schedule

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Analysis

The Panthers have a manageable schedule.

While they have seven games against playoff teams from a season ago, two of them are the Tom Brady-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and two of the team's toughest matchups—the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys—will be in Carolina.

Road games against the Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars will be tough. The Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans won't be pushovers.

But the Panthers are avoiding many of the elite teams from a season ago like the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. This isn't a cake walk, but it sets up nicely for a Carolina team hoping to be one of the surprise teams in the NFL.

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Key Matchups

The NFC South is wide open, making matchups with the Bucs, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints crucially important.

The Bucs have a lot of talent on the roster but will roll with either the unproven Kyle Trask or the underwhelming Baker Mayfield at quarterback. It could be a long season in Tampa.

The Falcons are a real wild card. The team is absolutely loaded with intriguing young skill position players like tight end Kyle Pitts, wideout Drake London and running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. But like every other team in the division, the question is at quarterback. If Desmond Ridder is up for the task, the Falcons could be a fun team in 2023, and a threat to win a pretty thin division.

And then there's the Saints. Derek Carr is the most established quarterback in the division, and he'll lead a talented group of skill-position players that includes Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, among others.

The Saints should be considered the favorites to win this division, but they're hardly a lock. If the Panthers are going to be the shock NFC South champs, coming out of two matchups against the Saints with at least one win will be crucial.