The Panthers hoped to be getting ready for a parade in Charlotte this week, but they’re cleaning out their lockers on Tuesday instead after losing 24-10 to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Once that’s over, the Panthers will turn their attention toward trying to take the next step and winning the Super Bowl in Houston next season. A 15-1 regular season and NFC title leaves a lot of room for a letdown, but tight end Greg Olsen doesn’t think that will be the case.
“The future is bright here,” Olsen said, via Max Henson of the team’s website. “No reason to think we can’t be better next year.”
The biggest free agent on the roster is cornerback Josh Norman, although there’s little chance he’ll be heading elsewhere with the franchise tag available to the Panthers. Even with him back, there’s need for some new blood in the secondary and Sunday’s loss showed the need for help on the offensive line as well. Getting a healthy Kelvin Benjamin back should make the offense more potent, though, and the talent is definitely strong enough for another good run starting next September.