Carolina Panthers didn’t make any moves at the NFL trade deadline. But other teams did. Some of the Carolina Panthers opponents in the NFC South made moves by trading away some of their veteran defensive players. Also, the Minnesota Vikings made a move to bring back a familiar face to play quarterback for them.

The Carolina Panthers are fighting to win the NFC South this year. But with so many injuries in their secondary they can’t make too many mistakes on the field. Also, their offense hasn’t been able to consistently move the ball down the field in games.

There could be some value in some of the trades that were made at the NFL trade deadline for the Carolina Panthers. But there could also be some trades that make things a little more difficult for the Panthers. Here are three trades that could make an impact on the Panthers remaining schedule.

Minnesota Vikings Got Better by Bringing Back Kirk Cousins

The Vikings made a move to trade a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for the rights to bring back the veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to Minnesota. Cousins left the Vikings for the Atlanta Falcons two years ago.

But does it matter for the Panthers? Will Cousins be able to produce enough in the offense for Minnesota to make them more difficult to defend than they already were before the trade?

Cousins can run the offense of Minnesota’s head coach Kevin O’Connell already. He also has the current star receivers on the team in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He can come in and run the offense immediately. But there won’t be much time to work out the kinks since the Vikings are in the middle of a season.

For the Panthers the biggest concern would be how Cousins will handle the pressure that the Panthers defense can bring. The Carolina secondary has been hit hard with injuries. The last thing the Panthers need is a QB that can recognize coverage and get the ball out before the defense can recover.

The Panthers hope that Cousins can’t get the football out of his hands before the Panthers secondary can recover from coverage errors. He is a QB that doesn’t need to extend the play with his feet. If the Panthers can’t affect his timing then Minnesota can attack the Panthers defensive backfield.

Of course the Vikings have to prove that this move makes them better. Cousins hasn’t played in O’Connell’s offense since 2023. He knows the offense. But that doesn’t mean that he’ll automatically pick up where he left off.

It will be interesting to see if the Vikings made the right move when the Panthers travel to Minnesota on December 6th.

Atlanta Falcons Got Worse by Trading Jessie Bates III

Atlanta Falcons made a move to trade away safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. This is a very good return for the Falcons. But for the remainder of the season the move can only hurt the Falcons chances of winning the NFC South.

The Falcons got the best of both worlds by dealing Bates III. But more the latter than the former. He’s a veteran safety that can read the eyes of a quarterback to make plays in the secondary. He can also recognize an offense’s scheme and then react to it. He’s the type of player that can make a quarterback hesitate when deciding whether or not to throw into a certain area of the field.

The Panthers already have had their fair share of issues this season in regards to pressure and turnovers. Having another less experienced player in the secondary for the Panthers to have to worry about would be a plus for Carolina. Especially in a game that could come down to the wire in which the Panthers would have to throw the ball.

There are still other defensive players that Atlanta has on their roster. So it is not as though their secondary is going to be easy to beat in the upcoming games for the Panthers.

This is a very interesting trade because it’s being made by a team that is currently in the hunt for the NFC South. But they are dealing away one of their better defensive players for future draft capital.

The trade will likely be better for Atlanta in the long run. But for the remainder of this season it is hard to see how losing Bates III can help the Falcons defense.

If the Falcons are still in the hunt for the NFC South title in Week 18, the Panthers will be glad that they do not have to play against one of the best safeties in the league.

New Orleans Saints Got Worse by Trading Davon Godchaux

The Saints made a move to trade defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In return for the veteran defensive tackle, New Orleans received a conditional 2028 NFL Draft pick in the 6th round. While Godchaux was not a stats-sheet-filling defensive tackle, he provided much needed size and veteran presence on the interior of the Saints’ defensive line.

This matters against a team like Carolina. Especially if the Panthers want to establish the running game.

If the Panthers can get four yards or more on first down, that opens up a lot of things for the offense. And takes pressure off of Bryce Young.

Does losing the veteran defensive tackle make it any easier for Carolina to find yards in the running game?

One defensive tackle does not make a whole team’s defense against the run. There are other players on the Saints’ defense that can be used to stop the run. It will be interesting to see if New Orleans can replace what Godchaux brought to the defense.

If Hubbard is able to consistently find yards between the tackles then the Panthers can keep feeding him the ball. And force the Saints to make adjustments on defense. If the middle of the Saints defensive line is able to stop the Panthers then they will have to find other ways to move the ball down the field.

This trade will be worth watching in the short term as the Panthers take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Which Trade Could Matter Most for Carolina?

While the Panthers didn’t make any trades at the deadline. There are several trades from other teams that could be of value to the Panthers.

The only other opponent on the remaining schedule of the Panthers that could have gotten better is the Minnesota Vikings. By bringing back Kirk Cousins, Minnesota has a veteran QB that knows several of the players on the team as well as several of the coaches.

The Falcons and Saints have gone in the other direction by trading away experienced defenders for draft picks. Carolina is more concerned with how the defenses will look for the remainder of the season than with the draft picks that were received in return for those players.

This trade will have the biggest impact on the NFC South race. As long as the Falcons are still in the hunt for the division title in Week 18, Carolina will be glad that they do not have to play against one of the best safeties in the league in Jessie Bates III.

However, the Godchaux trade is the one that will have the biggest impact on the Panthers’ remaining games. As they will test the Saints’ defensive line on Sunday.

While none of these trades guarantee the Panthers can win more games. The trades do provide the Panthers with more advantages as they try to win the NFC South.

But with the NFC South still up for grabs, Carolina will take any advantage it can get.