Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season is now behind us, and we’ve already learned quite a bit.
When it comes to the Carolina Panthers, it’s rare to see such a huge discrepancy between the offensive and defensive performance. The offense racked up 37 points and over 400 total yards, while the defense allowed over 500 yards and 59 points.
As you can assume from those stats, there are several players who failed to perform well enough. In general, the whole defense needs to be better, but there are three players on the roster in particular who could end up losing their jobs soon if they don’t pick it up.
Today, let’s talk about those three players.
WR Xavier Legette
© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The disappointment never ends with Xavier Legette. The rookie seemed to be turning a corner this summer, as he consistently impressed and earned the praise of his coaching staff.
However, that momentum failed to carry over into Week 1. Somehow, Legette managed to do absolutely nothing despite the insane output of the offense. The receiver was targeted twice but didn’t come down with either
Legette also doesn’t contribute on special teams, so if he’s not catching passes, he’s not doing anything. The Panthers could grow tired of waiting on him to take a step.
DL TeRah Edwards
TeRah Edwards was added in a trade on cut day. The depth lineman obviously made the team, but it did surprise some that he was active in Week 1 while Cam Jackson wasn’t. Jackson had been penciled in as a starter for most of the summer, and then didn’t even dress against the Bears.
Edwards failed to capitalize on his opportunity. The lineman earned a poor 53.9 PFF grade in 22 snaps, and he was completely ineffective as a run stopper. Another performance like this, and Edwards will end up being the inactive one.
S Nick Scott
This won’t surprise any Panthers fans, but Nick Scott wasn’t great in Week 1. The safety frequently had less-than-great performances in 2025, and that trend is still continuing in 2026.
Scott had one of the lowest PFF grades on the team against the Bears. Scott earned a 47.8 grade and ended with seven tackles and no pass breakups. The safety has to be better in pass coverage in the team is going to have no choice but to roll with Lathan Ransom or Zakee Wheatley.
