page_title: History of the Carolina Panthers
section_title: 2012 season
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Carolina Panthers / Ron Rivera era: 2011–2019 / 2012 season
caption_attribution_description: English: The Carolina Panthers take on the Peyton Manning led Denver Broncos in Charlotte, North Carolina
context_page_description: The Carolina Panthers' history formally dates back to 1993, when the NFL awarded the franchise to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, began play in the 1995 NFL season as expansion teams. They have played in Charlotte since 1996, winning six division titles and two NFC Championships. The Panthers were the first NFL franchise based in the Carolinas and the second professional sports team based in Charlotte, the first being the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.
context_section_description: The Panthers drafted Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly with the 9th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and unveiled an updated logo and word mark. Carolina started the season 2–8, losing many of them by late-game collapses. A 19–14 loss to the Cowboys resulted in longtime general manager Marty Hurney being fired. However, the team managed to win 5 out of their final 6 games to finish with a record of 7–9, good for 2nd in the NFC South. It became their first season with single-digit losses since 2009. The strong finish helped to save head coach Ron Rivera from otherwise losing his job, despite talk of the coach being fired after the season's end.
caption: Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers during the 2012 Season
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