Carolina Panthers Depth Chart 2026 — Starters & Backups

Bryce Young is the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback for 2026, with Kenny Pickett as the backup — he played 96% of the offensive snaps in 2026.

The starting receivers are Tetairoa McMillan (WR1), Jalen Coker (WR2) and Brycen Tremayne (WR3), with Tommy Tremble at tight end.

The 2026 depth chart lists 11 starting jobs on offense (primary personnel: 11) and 12 on defense. The defense lines up in a 3-4 base with a nickel sub-package.

Carolina Panthers 2026 depth chart: offense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
QB	Bryce Young	Kenny Pickett	Haynes King
RB	Chuba Hubbard	AJ Dillon (O)	Anthony Tyus III
WR1	Tetairoa McMillan	John Metchie III	Casey Washington
WR2	Jalen Coker	David Moore
WR3	Brycen Tremayne	Ja'seem Reed
TE	Tommy Tremble	Darren Waller	Mitchell Evans
LT	Rasheed Walker	Monroe Freeling (D)	Stone Forsythe
LG	Damien Lewis (Q)	Corey Bullock	Saahdiq Charles
C	Luke Fortner	Sam Hecht
RG	Robert Hunt	Corey Bullock	Jake Curhan
RT	Monroe Freeling (D)	Stone Forsythe	Albert Reese IV

Carolina Panthers 2026 depth chart: defense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
LDE	Derrick Brown	Bobby Brown III	Aaron Hall
NT	Bobby Brown III	Lee Hunter
RDE	Bobby Brown III	TeRah Edwards	Parker Petersen
WLB	Patrick Jones II	Princely Umanmielen	Trevis Gipson
LILB	Devin Lloyd	Bobby Okereke	Tyrel Dodson
RILB	Bobby Okereke	Jackson Kuwatch	Maema Njongmeta
SLB	Jaelan Phillips (Q)	Princely Umanmielen	Trevis Gipson
LCB	Akayleb Evans	Will Lee III
RCB	Will Lee III	Robert Rochell	Corey Thornton
Nickel	Chau Smith-Wade	Corey Thornton
FS	Nick Scott	Lathan Ransom	Isaiah Simmons
SS	Tre'von Moehrig	Zakee Wheatley	Lathan Ransom

Carolina Panthers 2026 depth chart: special teams
Position	Starter	Second	Third
K	Ryan Fitzgerald
P	Sam Martin
LS	JJ Jansen
H	Sam Martin
KR	David Moore	Anthony Tyus III	John Metchie III
PR	David Moore	John Metchie III	Jalen Coker
K	Ryan Fitzgerald

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Panthers' RB1?

Chuba Hubbard starts at RB for Carolina — 76% of snaps in 2026 so far. AJ Dillon is second and Anthony Tyus III third.

Who starts at QB for the Panthers?

Bryce Young (year 4) starts at QB for Carolina in 2026. Kenny Pickett is QB2.

Who are the Panthers' starting WRs?

The Panthers' starting wide receivers in 2026 are Tetairoa McMillan (WR1), Jalen Coker (WR2) and Brycen Tremayne (WR3).

Who starts on the Carolina Panthers offensive line?

The Carolina Panthers starting offensive line: Rasheed Walker (LT), Damien Lewis (LG), Luke Fortner (C), Robert Hunt (RG) and Monroe Freeling (RT).

Who are the Carolina Panthers kicker, punter and long snapper?

Carolina Panthers specialists: Ryan Fitzgerald (kicker), Sam Martin (punter) and JJ Jansen (long snapper).

Which Carolina Panthers starters are injured or unavailable?

Injured or unavailable on the Carolina Panthers depth chart: Damien Lewis (Q), Jaelan Phillips (Q), Ikem Ekwonu (PUP), Jonathon Brooks (IR), AJ Dillon (O), Trevor Etienne (IR), Brady Christensen (IR), Taylor Moton (NFI), Xavier Legette (IR), Monroe Freeling (D), Chris Brazzell II (IR), Ryan Hayes (IR), Mike Jackson (IR), Cam Jackson (IR), Jaycee Horn (IR), Tershawn Wharton (PUP), Bam Martin-Scott (IR) and Nic Scourton (IR).