History of the Carolina Panthers This article details the history of the Carolina Panthers , an American football team in the National Football League . The Panthers ' history formally dates 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 . Origins : 1987 – 1994 . In 1987 , shortly after it was decided that Charlotte would receive an expansion National Basketball Association franchise ( the Charlotte Hornets , now known as the New Orleans Hornets ) , former Baltimore Colts player Jerry Richardson met with a group of potential backers to discuss the possibility of bringing an NFL expansion team to the Carolina region . Richardson Sports decided upon a spot in the uptown section of Charlotte to build a privately financed stadium seating more than 70 , 000 fans . Richardson ' s announcement created a buzz in the region , as politicians , businessmen , and citizens all joined together to show the NFL that a team could be supported in the area . United States Senators Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina put aside their partisan differences to lobby NFL owners to support the expansion . Meanwhile , North Carolina Governor James G . Martin and South Carolina Governor Carroll A . Campbell , Jr . created a committee of citizens from North and South Carolina to help the cause . Preseason games were held in the region in 1989 , 1990 , and 1991 ; all of the games were sold out as part of the fans ' efforts to show their support . In 1992 , the NFL released the list of five areas open to a potential NFL team : Baltimore , Maryland ; St . Louis , Missouri ; Memphis , Tennessee ; Jacksonville , Florida ; and the Carolinas , represented by Charlotte . After the vote was delayed because of a dispute between the players and the league , the race began again in 1993 . In June of that year , Richardson Sports announced that they would finance the stadium through the sale of Permanent Seat Licenses , club seats , and luxury boxes . In a stunning show of fan support , all seats were sold out by the end of the first day . The feasibility of the team was no longer a question , but it was still up to the league to decide where the team would go . On October 26 , 1993 , the league announced that the owners had unanimously voted for the Carolinas to receive the 29th franchise , the first new NFL team since 1976 ( Jacksonville was named the 30th team a month later ) . Fans all over the region celebrated with fireworks . In a memorable moment during the expansion announcement conference , Richardson spoke directly into the camera to thank the 40 , 000 people who had purchased the PSLs and allowing the stadium to be built without a burden to the taxpayers . Even though St . Louis and Baltimore lost out on their expansion bids , they eventually acquired new teams : the Los Angeles Rams moved to St . Louis in 1995 , and as the result of the 1996 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy , the Baltimore Ravens were established by the league as technically a new expansion team . Memphis also temporarily received a team when the Houston Oilers relocated in 1997 to Tennessee , intending to play the 1997 and 1998 seasons in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium while what is now called LP Field in Nashville was being constructed . Dom Capers era : 1995 – 1998 . The Panthers signed Dom Capers , former defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers , as their inaugural head coach . 1995 season . During the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft , Rod Smith was the first player selected by the Panthers . During the 1995 NFL Draft , the Panthers made their first significant addition ( in terms of long - term contributions to the team ) by drafting Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins . Upon entering the NFL in 1995 , the Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars set about building their respective squads with a luxury not afforded to previous expansion teams : free agency . The Panthers made excellent use of the tool , picking up wide receiver Don Beebe , linebacker Sam Mills , and placekicker John Kasay . As of 2010 , Kasay is the only remaining " original Panther " from the inaugural season . The Panthers won the annual Hall of Fame Game against the fellow expansion Jacksonville Jaguars 20 – 14 ( a game known as the " Battle of the Big Cats , " due to the similar nicknames of the franchises ) on July 29 , 1995 . The home games during the season were played at Clemson University , as the Panthers stadium in Charlotte was still under construction . This made the Panthers the only sports team in one of the Big Four leagues ever based out of South Carolina , even if only for one year . The Panthers originally wanted to play their first season in Williams - Brice Stadium in Columbia , SC , which was closer and more accessible to Charlotte but the University of South Carolina turned them down . The Panthers first regular season game was against the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome . The Panthers scored on their first three possessions to take a 13 – 0 lead before the Falcons rallied to win 23 – 20 in overtime . The Panthers first home game ( in Clemson ) was a 31 – 10 loss to the St . Louis Rams . Following an 0 – 5 start to the season , the Panthers won their first game against the New York Jets 26 – 15 on October 15 , 1995 , after Sam Mills returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown . Later that year , the Panthers stunned the league by not only winning four consecutive games ( an expansion team record ) , but defeating the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 13 – 7 , the first time an expansion team had beaten the reigning champs . The Panthers finished their season 7 – 9 , more than doubling the previous record of a first year expansion team . 1996 season . In the 1996 NFL Draft , the Panthers used their first pick on running back Tim Biakabutuka , and their second pick on wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad . During the off - season , they also picked up quarterback Steve Beuerlein , tight end Wesley Walls , and linebacker Kevin Greene . After playing their home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson , South Carolina during their first season , the Panthers began play at the newly - completed Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte , North Carolina starting in september . The teams second year proved even better than the first ; following a 5 – 4 start to the year , the players found a groove and rattled off a seven - game winning streak to end the season with a record of 12 – 4 , and win the NFC West division for the first time in franchise history . In their first ever playoff game , they beat the Dallas Cowboys 26 – 17 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Ericsson Stadium . The following week , however , they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 30 – 13 in the NFC Championship . Their fellow second - year expansion team , the Jacksonville Jaguars , played in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots but lost 20 – 6 ; the NFL nearly had an all - expansion Super Bowl . Following the successful season , the Panthers were represented at the Pro Bowl by eight players , including Kerry Collins , John Kasay , Sam Mills , and Michael Bates among others . 1997 season . The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 1997 NFL Draft , including safety Mike Minter , tight end Kris Mangum , and also signed running back Fred Lane as an undrafted free agent . Following an impressive second season , the Panthers fully expected to return to the playoffs in 1997 , but a 2 – 4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans . The team finished their third season with a record of 7 – 9 , and missed the playoffs . While the Panthers managed to win their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football with a 23 – 13 win over the Dallas Cowboys , they were also shut out for the first time in franchise history in a week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos , with a final score of 34 – 0 . 1998 season . The Panthers started the 1998 season 0 – 7 , the worst ever start for the franchise . Quarterback Kerry Collins started the first four games for the team before Steve Beuerlein was givin the starting job ; he started the seasons remaining 12 games . The team got their first win of the year with a 31 – 17 victory over the New Orleans Saints in week 9 , breaking a nine game losing streak dating back to the previous season . After rallying to win their last 2 games , the Panthers finished the year 4 – 12 , their worst record in franchise history at the time . Kerry Collins , who was dealing with alcoholism , was released following the season . Head coach Dom Capers was let go as well , after four seasons with the franchise . George Seifert era : 1999 – 2001 . After Dom Capers was let go following the previous season , George Seifert was hired as the second head coach in Panthers history . Seifert had won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers , and had a reputation for winning with talented and experienced teams . 1999 season . The Panthers picked up several players in the 1999 NFL Draft , including defensive end Mike Rucker . In Seifert ' s first season with the team , the Panthers finished with an 8 – 8 record , a four - game improvement from the previous season , and their first . 500 record in franchise history . Following a 2 – 5 start , they finished 6 – 3 in their last 9 games , including a 45 – 13 home victory over the division rival New Orleans Saints in the final game of the season . However , the team missed out on a wildcard playoff berth through a complicated tiebreaker based on total points scored . Wide receiver Rae Carruth , taken with the Panthers first pick of the 1997 Draft , was arrested in 1999 for conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend and was later convicted . 2000 season . In the 2000 NFL Draft , safety Deon Grant and linebaker Lester Towns werre among the players selected by the Panthers . In Seifert ' s second season with the team , the Panthers finished 7 – 9 , one game worse than the previous season , and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season . They finished third in the division , behind the playoff - bound St . Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints . Veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein , who had been the teams starting quarterback since 1998 , was released following the season . Former running back Fred Lane , who had been a member of the Panthers for three seasons , was shot and killed by his wife during a domestic dispute in 2000 after signing with the Indianapolis Colts . 2001 season . Seifert ' s third and final season with the Panthers was a disaster . The team released veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein in the off - season and handed the reins to Jeff Lewis , who was released after several poor performances during the preseason ; that left the Panthers with rookie quarterback Chris Weinke under center . Weinke had won the Heisman Trophy leading Florida State to a national championship in college but was unable to duplicate that level of success in the NFL . The Panthers won their opening game against the Minnesota Vikings 24 – 13 , but then lost 15 straight games . This set a record for single - season losing streaks which held until the Detroit Lions ' 0 – 16 winless campaign of 2008 . The Panthers also finished last in their division for the first time in franchise history . Seifert was fired the day after the 2001 season ended and the team then set out to find its third head coach . Although his final season was the worst in team history , George Seifert did help select several outstanding players in the 2001 NFL Draft including Dan Morgan , Kris Jenkins and Steve Smith , who have earned several Pro Bowl berths and All - Pro awards while playing for the Panthers . Smith is considered one of the most electrifying and explosive wide receivers in the game today . John Fox era : 2002 – 2010 . After Seifert was fired following the disastrous 2001 season , the Panthers hired New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox as the team ' s third head coach . Fox was known for defensive discipline and it would be needed to improve a team that had finished in the bottom of the defensive rankings the previous year . 2002 season . Fox looked to the 2002 NFL Draft to begin revamping the franchise , starting with the second overall pick ; Julius Peppers . Peppers was a dominating defensive end at the University of North Carolina and he was a solid fit for Fox ' s defensive plan . The Panthers also picked up linebacker Will Witherspoon and running back DeShaun Foster in the draft . Peppers combined with fellow defensive end Mike Rucker and defensive tackles Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins to form what many football experts called the best defensive line in the game . Meanwhile , Mike Minter anchored the secondary , while Witherspoon ( affectionately called " Spoon " by fans and teammates ) and Mark Fields led the linebacker corps . Fox ' s defense - first philosophy worked well as the Panthers improved to 7 – 9 ( a six - game improvement over the previous year ) and posted the second - best overall defense in the league , including allowing a league - low 3 . 69 yards per rushing attempt . 2003 season : The Cardiac Cats . The 2003 season began with the Panthers drafting several young prospects , including Ricky Manning , Jr . at cornerback , and Jordan Gross at offensive tackle . In addition , quarterback Jake Delhomme , running back Stephen Davis , and wide receiver Ricky Proehl were signed in the off - season , making additions to an offense that needed to complement a top - ranked defense . The team was not without tragedy , however , as it was revealed that former linebacker and coach Sam Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer ; additionally , linebacker Mark Fields was diagnosed with Hodgkin ' s Disease . The team used their struggle as inspiration , and started the season 5 – 0 . Jake Delhomme replaced Rodney Peete at quarterback by halftime of the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars , then led the Panthers to a fourth quarter comeback , thus winning the starting job . Delhomme eventually led the team to an 11 – 5 record , the NFC South Division title and a playoff berth . In the playoffs , they easily defeated the Cowboys 29 – 10 in a home wild - card game before facing the St . Louis Rams in the divisional playoff game in the Edward Jones Dome . Carolina had an 11 - point lead in the last 3 minutes of play , but a touchdown from Marshall Faulk , a successful two point conversion , and an onside kick that led to a field goal tied the game and sent it to overtime . Both John Kasay and Jeff Wilkins missed potential game - winning kicks in the first overtime , but In the first play of the 2nd OT , however , Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith with a 69 - yard touchdown pass to win the game , 29 – 23 , sending the Panthers into the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles . The Eagles , led by Donovan McNabb , were in the NFC title match for the 3rd year in a row , but lost it as the Panthers shut down the Eagles offense and , with a 14 – 3 victory , headed to their first Super Bowl against the New England Patriots . The multiple close games , won either in overtime or with a slim margin , gave way to a new nickname for the Panthers : the " Cardiac Cats . " Super Bowl XXXVIII . At Super Bowl XXXVIII , neither team was able to put up points in the first quarter , and the game remained scoreless until near the end of the first half . However , 24 points were scored in the last 5 minutes of the first half , and the score going into halftime was 14 – 10 New England . The third quarter was also scoreless and it wasn ' t until late in the game that things heated up once again . The teams traded leads numerous times in the highest - scoring fourth quarter in Super Bowl history , including setting a record when Jake Delhomme hit Muhsin Muhammad for an 85 - yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter . That pass made the score 22 – 21 , Carolina and went down in the record books as the longest offensive play in Super Bowl history . After New England responded with a touchdown of their own and a 2 - point conversion to make it 29 – 22 , Carolina would storm right back to tie the game with a touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 1 : 08 left in regulation , opening the possibility to the first overtime game in Super Bowl history . However , John Kasay ' s kickoff went out of bounds , giving the Patriots the ball on their own 40 - yard line . Adam Vinatieri , who had won Super Bowl XXXVI two years earlier on a last - second field goal , repeated his heroics , connecting on a 41 - yarder with four seconds left , even though he had already missed two field goals in the game . This gave the Patriots their second Super Bowl win in three years . 2004 season . Experts all picked the Panthers to repeat their 2003 season success in 2004 . Having selected cornerback Chris Gamble and wide receiver Keary Colbert with their top two picks in the 2004 draft , and not having lost any core players from their Super Bowl run , the team looked ready for their 10th Anniversary season . In addition , Mark Fields , who had missed the previous season with Hodgkin ' s disease , returned and was ready to go . But the team suffered major injuries early on , as Steve Smith broke his leg in the season opener against Green Bay , Stephen Davis suffered a knee injury before the second game of the season , and Kris Jenkins had shoulder problems that benched him for the year . In fact , the Panthers had 14 players on injured reserve , including their top " four " running backs , more than any other team . This led to a 1 – 7 start , and people began wondering if they would repeat the 1 – 15 season of 2001 . However , backup fullback Nick Goings stepped up to the challenge with five 100 - yd rushing games , Keary Colbert played better than most rookies thrown into the # 2 receiver spot , and the defense held together despite the injuries to help the team win 6 of their last 8 games , finishing 7 – 9 . The Panthers barely missed the playoffs after losing a close game to New Orleans , when a 60 yard field goal attempt fell just short as time expired . Among things the Panthers did in 2004 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise , they named a ( 10th Anniversary All - Time Team ) . With the exception of tight end Wesley Walls , every offensive starter was on the team during their Super Bowl run of 2003 . The only defensive players to make the anniversary team that played in the Super Bowl were the front four ( Peppers , Rucker , Jenkins and Buckner ) , linebacker Dan Morgan , and safety Mike Minter . Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun made the squad as well . Naturally , kicker John Kasay made the team , since he has been the team ' s kicker since its inception . 2005 season . Despite a home - opening loss to the New Orleans Saints to start off the 2005 season , the Panthers got revenge against the two - time defending champion New England Patriots for the loss in Super Bowl XXXVIII , winning the rematch by a final score of 27 – 17 . Despite going on the road and losing a close game to the Miami Dolphins 27 – 24 , the Panthers managed to get a six - game winning streak going , including a win at home on " Monday Night Football " against the Green Bay Packers . In a home game against the Minnesota Vikings Steve Smith , who had already emerged as one of the league ' s best wide receivers , had a real breakthrough , catching 11 passes for 201 yards and 1 touchdown , with his longest reception of the game being 69 yards . Jake Delhomme also enjoyed one of his best outings in years , completing 21 of 29 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns , giving Delhomme a nomination for FedEx Air Player of The Week . Their winning streak came to an end however at the hands of the Chicago Bears . The # 1 defense held the Panthers to just three points , as they lost the game 13 – 3 . After losing to the Cowboys in the season ' s penultimate game , the Panthers needed a victory to secure a spot in the playoffs . They responded with a dominating New Years Day performance at the Georgia Dome , a 44 – 11 victory over the Falcons , making the score the largest margin of victory in franchise history , and the first time since 1997 that the Panthers were able to beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome . With that victory , the Panthers secured themselves the NFC ' s # 5 seed . The Panthers began their post - season play on Sunday January 8 , 2006 at Giants Stadium against the New York Giants . After both sides failed to score in the first quarter , the trifecta of Jake Delhomme , DeShaun Foster , and Steve Smith showed dominance as they shut out the Giants 23 – 0 . Carolina ' s coach , John Fox , used to be the defensive coordinator for the Giants when they went to the Super Bowl earlier in the decade . New York was the nation ' s number one television market , and the shutout in the playoffs was significant . Their next opponent was the Chicago Bears , home to the nation ' s third largest television market . The Panthers defeated them at Soldier Field with a final score of 29 – 21 . With that victory , the Panthers advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third time in the franchise ' s 11 - year history . However , during the Chicago game Deshaun Foster suffered a crushing ankle injury that would keep him indefinitely sidelined . Also , star defensive end Julius Peppers re - injured an ailing shoulder . The next weekend they played against the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship , but injuries and playing on the road for the fourth straight week caught up with the Panthers and they came up short , losing 34 – 14 . 2006 season . Coming off a playoff season and with new acquisition Keyshawn Johnson , the Panthers sold out Bank of America Stadium fifteen minutes after tickets went on sale . An early injury to Steve Smith led to a two - game losing streak , but his return coincided with a four game winning run . However , Jake Delhomme was injured soon after and was lost for three games . In the end , the team finished 8 – 8 and missed the playoffs . Following the season , offensive coordinator Dan Henning was fired and Johnson retired , becoming an NFL analyst for ESPN after being released . 2007 season . Among players the team drafted was Dwayne Jarrett , who was pickedup in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft . The Panthers began the season as playoff contenders , and won their opener against the St . Louis Rams for the first time since 2003 . The following week at home against the Houston Texans , the Panthers jumped ahead 14 – 0 but lost 34 – 21 , unable to fend off a relentless passing attack by the Texans . In week three against the Atlanta Falcons , Jake Delhomme was lost for the season with an injured elbow , which resulted in Tommy John Surgery . After a close loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 4 , the Panthers got back on the winning track behind the passing arm of former Houston Texans standout QB David Carr , who drew from the playbook of his 2006 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts by engineering two 4th - quarter drives ; the first for a TD , and the last to set up the game winning field goal by John Kasay to defeat the New Orleans Saints . Unfortunately for the Panthers , the unpopular Carr suffered the first major injury of his career , badly injuring his back against the Saints . After returning to the game in the second half to get the win , Carr would play sparingly for the rest of the year , forcing the Panthers to rely on 44 - year old Vinny Testaverde and rookie Matt Moore for the remainder of the season . The Panthers finished 7 – 9 , and missed the playoffs again . 2008 season . The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 2008 NFL Draft , including running back Jonathan Stewart , and offensive tackle Jeff Otah . With the help of a much improved rushing offense , the Panthers rebounded in the 2008 season , going 8 – 0 at home , and finishing the season with a 12 – 4 record . After defeating the New Orleans Saints 33 – 31 in the last game of the regular season , the Panthers claimed the NFC South title and a first round bye in the playoffs . However , on January 10 the Panthers ' season came to a disappointing end , as they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 33 – 13 at Bank of America Stadium in the NFC Divisional playoff game . The Panthers ' offense was plagued by Quarterback Jake Delhomme ' s 6 turnovers ( 5 interceptions and a fumble ) . 2009 season . The 2009 season opener witnessed Carolina go down to defeat at the hands of the Eagles , followed by losses to Atlanta and Dallas . The Panthers got their first win in week 5 against Washington . In Week 6 , they defeated their division rival Buccaneers 28 – 21 , a game that was most notable for cornerback Dante Wesley launching himself into the neck of Tampa Bay punt returner Clifton Smith . Smith was knocked unconscious and Wesley ejected for his actions . He was suspended one game and fined $ 20 , 000 . There followed an uneven string of wins and losses . After 11 games , a recently injured Jake Delhomme was benched , and replaced at starting QB by Matt Moore . With a more aggressive offense in place , the Panthers won four of their last five games , including their last three . These victories included an impressive 26 – 7 sweep of Minnesota . They then crushed the Giants 41 – 9 , and ended the season at 8 – 8 with a 23 – 10 victory over the Saints . 2010 season . The Panthers lost several key players during the 2010 off - season , including quarterback Jake Delhomme , defensive end Julius Peppers , wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad , and cornerback Dante Wesley . Their most notable draft pick was Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen , who started 10 games during the season . Matt Moore first started at Quarterback when the Panthers lost in New York in Week 1 , and then fell to Tampa Bay . The 0 – 2 team then benched Matt Moore and installed Jimmy Clausen as starting quarterback . After suffering further defeats against Cincinnati , New Orleans , and Chicago , Carolina entered its bye week at 0 – 5 . Moore was brought out as starter again in Week 7 and the Panthers got their first win by defeating San Francisco 23 – 20 . Following another seven - game losing streak , in which Matt Moore was eventually placed on season - ending injured reserve , Jimmy Clausen lead the Panthers to their second win , a 19 – 12 victory over the Cardinals . In the end , the Panthers finished the season with a record of 2 – 14 and a last place finish in the NFC South . Ron Rivera era : 2011 – present . After a disappointing 2010 season , John Fox was fired along with most of his coaching staff . Shortly after , the Panthers hired Ron Rivera as the fourth head coach in Panther history . Rivera was previously the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and the San Diego Chargers before being hired by the Panthers .