JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Sept. 7, 2025, the Carolina Panthers opened the regular season with a 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium, a game marked by turnovers, penalties and a lengthy weather delay that disrupted momentum.
Key Takeaways
- Panthers lost 26-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
- QB Bryce Young had an interception and a first-half fumble; those turnovers produced 10 Jacksonville points.
- Rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made a 48-yard field goal; Chuba Hubbard caught a late TD from Young.
- A 76-minute weather delay preceded a 71-yard Travis Etienne run that swung momentum to Jacksonville.
- Penalties and miscommunication — including an ineligible man downfield on center Austin Corbett — erased plays and extended drives for the Jaguars.
- DT Tershawn Wharton left with a concussion evaluation, returned, then exited for the game with a hamstring issue.
- Defensive highlight: Jaycee Horn recorded an acrobatic interception during the game.
Verified Facts
Turnovers were decisive. Bryce Young threw an interception and lost a fumble in the first half; the Jaguars converted those miscues into 10 points that helped build an early cushion. After a lengthy lightning delay, Jacksonville extended its advantage when Travis Etienne broke a 71-yard run that led to a touchdown, pushing the score to 17-3.
Special teams and late offense: rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald accounted for a 48-yard field goal that supplied the Panthers’ only points for much of the afternoon. Young connected with Chuba Hubbard for a touchdown inside the final five minutes, but that score came too late to change the outcome.
Penalties and execution errors hampered Carolina throughout. Several dropped passes, a flagged ineligible man downfield on center Austin Corbett that erased a first down, and snaps that reached Young earlier than expected repeatedly stalled drives. A fourth-and-1 pass early in the second half was thrown out of bounds with nobody open, ending a promising sequence; Young reacted angrily on the bench afterward.
Defensively, the Panthers had mixed moments. Jaycee Horn produced a notable interception, but the unit also gave up explosive plays and missed tackles that allowed Jacksonville to sustain drives. A late fourth-quarter interception return that looked like a pick-six was nullified by a penalty on the Jaguars; another subsequent turnover allowed Jacksonville to run out the clock.
Context & Impact
This opening loss raises immediate questions about Carolina’s offensive continuity after an offseason focused on building momentum from last year’s second-half surge. The combination of turnovers, penalties and timing issues between quarterback and protection undermined the game plan and left the Panthers unable to sustain long drives.
Injuries and roster availability also factored. Tershawn Wharton, one of the defensive additions in free agency, left early for concussion evaluation, returned briefly, and was later ruled out for the game with a hamstring problem. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was inactive, with Yosh Nijman starting in his place, which may have contributed to protection and timing issues.
Practical implications for Week 2 include correcting snap timing, reducing false-starts and communication errors, and settling personnel choices on the offensive line and defensive front. The coaching staff will also need to establish clearer in-game adjustments to limit explosive runs like Etienne’s 71-yarder.
Official Statements
The Panthers characterized the performance as unacceptable and said the team will prioritize cleaning up procedural errors and communication before their next game.
Panthers officials
Unconfirmed
- Full severity and timetable for Tershawn Wharton’s hamstring recovery (updates expected from team medical staff).
- Whether snap-timing issues are a schematic problem or the result of line personnel adjustments this week.
Bottom Line
The Panthers’ Week 1 defeat exposed execution and communication problems on offense and inconsistent tackling on defense. While there were bright spots — a long field goal by rookie Ryan Fitzgerald and an interception by Jaycee Horn — Carolina must address penalties, turnover prevention and line play quickly to avoid a slow start to the season.