The Carolina Panthers might be must-see TV here in 2026.

Following yesterday's 25-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette suggested that the Panthers could, once again, play under the Sunday night spotlight this season. Tomasson opines that their Week 9 contest against the Denver Broncos would probably be more suitable for prime-time viewing than the current matchup in that spot between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears . . .

You can see why the league would want to get out of that showdown. The Bucs are just 1-5 going into Week 7, and likely wouldn't put up much of a fight against a high-powered Bears offense.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have an elite offense that ranks fourth in scoring and second in yardage. That sets up a good matchup against a Broncos defense that led the NFL in sacks last season and ranks 10th in scoring defense this year.

Carolina appeared on Sunday Night Football back in Week 4—when they defeated the Detroit Lions, 32-26. As of now, the Panthers have two other prime-time games on their slate—a Thursday nighter with the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 and a Monday nighter with the Bucs in Week 12.

As Tomasson notes, the NFL would have until Oct. 27 to flex the game, if they so choose.