NEWSLETTER
This article is part of a series of top North Carolina athletes and teams. As North Carolina sports betting gets set to launch in March, take a look at the top athletes across North Carolina college and professional sports.
The Carolina Panthers joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995 and have made a splash in the team’s short history. They have had major award winners along with appearing in the Super Bowl a couple of times. What players have had the best careers in Carolina? Take a look at the 10 best Carolina Panthers Players of all time.
10. Jon Beason – LB
Years in Carolina: 2007-13
Jon Beason started his time in Carolina with four straight 100+ tackle seasons before injuries decimated his later career. In seven seasons in Carolina, Beason made three Pro Bowls and was First Team All-Pro in 2008. During his 2008 season, he had 138 tackles on his way to top honors.
A lot of Panthers fans wonder what could have been if Beason’s career wasn’t ruined by injuries that started in 2011 with a torn achilles. He still managed to play 9 seasons in the NFL.
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9. Jake Delhomme – QB
Years in Carolina: 2003-09
Jake Delhomme was the Panthers’ primary quarterback for 7 seasons and helped the Panthers reach the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. The Panthers fell to the Patriots 32-29 on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The week before, Delhomme led the Panthers to a 14-3 win in the NFC Championship game.
He didn’t put up huge numbers but he won games as he went 53-37 in a starter while reaching the playoffs in 2003, 2005, and 2008. Delhomme made one Pro Bowl and threw 120 touchdown passes in his Panthers’ career. He was inducted into the Panthers Hall of Honor.
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8. Jordan Gross – OT
Years in Carolina: 2003-13
The best Carolina Panthers players list has to give some love to the guys in the trenches. Jordan Gross was the most consistent piece of the Panthers offensive line in his 11-year career in Carolina. He was First Team All-Pro in 2008 and played 167 games in his career. Gross started 16 games in 8 of his 11 seasons.
Gross’ 167 starts are the most by any player in franchise history and he made three Pro Bowls during his run. He was inducted into the Panthers Hall of Honor back in 2019.
7. Greg Olsen – TE
Years in Carolina: 2011-19
Greg Olsen started his career in Chicago in 2007 before joining the Panthers in 2011. He spent the majority of his career with Carolina and was one of Cam Newton’s favorite targets during that run. As a Panther, Olsen made three Pro Bowls and had 6,463 yards receiving.
Olsen caught 29 touchdowns for the Panthers and was Second-Team All-Pro in 2015 and 2016. He finished his career with 8,683 yards and 60 touchdowns to rank seventh all-time in receiving yards by a tight end.
Olsen had 1,000+ receiving yards with the Panthers from 2014-16.
Read More: 10 Best NFL Players from NC
6. Thomas Davis – LB
Years in Carolina: 2005-18
Thomas Davis spent 13 years with the Panthers and had a great career while making a fantastic linebacker duo with Luke Kuechly. He had 1,098 tackles, 28 sacks, and 18 forced fumbles with the Panthers.
His best season came in 2015 as he made First Team All-Pro with 105 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions. Davis had 100+ tackles in six of his seasons with the Panthers and made three Pro Bowls.
Davis missed the entire 2010 season with a knee injury and played just two games in 2011 before becoming an anchor of the Panthers defense from 2013-17.
5. Sam Mills – LB
Years in Carolina: 1995-97
Sam Mills only spent three years in Carolina but he made the most of it as he finished in the top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice, made a Pro Bowl, and was First Team All-Pro in 1996. Mills was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 thanks to a career in which he had 1,265 tackles, 22 forced fumbles, and 20.5 sacks.
In Carolina, Mills had 331 tackles and at least 99 in all three of his seasons while playing 48 games. In his 12-year career, Mills had 100+ tackles seven times and made five Pro Bowls.
4. Cam Newton – QB
Years in Carolina: 2011-19, 2021
Cam Newton put the Panthers back on the map after being drafted number one overall in 2011. He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year and a few years later the 2015 MVP after one of the most impressive quarterback seasons ever.
In 2015, Newton was First Team All-Pro. That season, he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl as he claimed his MVP Award. The Panthers fell to the Broncos 24-10 but that doesn’t diminish Newton’s incredible season. He had 35 TD passes, 636 rushing yards, and 10 rushing TDs.
Newton was also the Offensive Player of the Year in 2015. Also, he made three Pro Bowls in his time with the Panthers. He helped the Panthers reach the playoffs three times and was 68-60-1 as a starter in Carolina.
3. Julius Peppers – DE
Years in Carolina: 2002-09, 2017-18
Julius Peppers spent the first eight years of his career with the Panthers after being drafted number two overall in 2002. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and was selected First Team All-Pro twice in Carolina. After stints with the Bears and Packers, Peppers returned to Carolina for his final two seasons in the league.
With the Panthers, Peppers racked up 97 sacks and 34 forced fumbles while reaching five Pro Bowls. Peppers had great years on the Bears and Packers as well. He was First Team All-Pro in 2010 with the Bears in 2010 and reached double-digit sacks along with a Pro Bowl with the Packers in 2015.
Peppers was voted a member of the 2000s and 2010s Hall of Fame Team. Also, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
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2. Luke Kuechly – LB
Years in Carolina: 2012-19
Luke Kuechly had a dominant run with the Panthers that included five First-Team All-Pro selections, seven Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2013. In 2012, he was the Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 164 tackles.
Kuechly played 118 games for Carolina. He ended up with 1,092 tackles, 75 tackles for loss, 18 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles in his career. Also, he was voted onto the 2010s Hall of Fame Team.
The star linebacker had over 100 tackles in each season of his career. This includes when he led the league in 2012 and 2014.
Read More: 10 Best Athletes from NC
1. Steve Smith Sr. – WR
Years in Carolina: 2001-13
Steve Smith Sr. gets the nod as the greatest Panther ever thanks to 13 strong seasons in Carolina at wide receiver. Smith was First Team All-Pro twice, made five Pro Bowls, and was the 2005 AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Smith had at least 1,000 yards receiving seven times for the Panthers while leading the league in receptions (103), yards (1,563), and receiving touchdowns (12) in 2005. In the 2003 season, he helped Carolina reach the Super Bowl thanks to a 69-yard TD catch in OT in the divisional round to beat the Rams 29-23.
Smith caught 836 passes for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns in Carolina. He played his final three seasons in Baltimore and finished his career with 14,731 yards which sits him at number eight all-time in receiving yards.
Standing at just 5’9″, Smith made a monster impact in his time with the Panthers and goes down as one of the best players in franchise history.
Read More: Best Carolina Hurricanes players and best Charlotte Hornets players
