The 1998 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 4th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth and final under head coach Dom Capers. They tried to improve upon their 7-9 record in 1997, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history, but failed and finished at a franchise worst 4–12 in 1998 and fourth of five teams in the NFC West. Capers was fired at the end of the season and replaced by George Seifert.
| 1998 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| Head coach | Dom Capers |
| Home field | Ericsson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–12 |
| Division place | 4th NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | TEWesley Walls WRMichael Bates LBKevin Greene |
| AP All-Pros | None |
| |
The 1998 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 18 and April 19, 1998. The Panthers selected eight players in seven rounds.
| 1998 Carolina Panthers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Jason Peter | Defensive tackle | Nebraska | |
| 3 | 62 | Chuck Wiley | Defensive end | LSU | |
| 3 | 73 | Mitch Marrow | Defensive end | Pennsylvania | |
| 4 | 106 | Donald Hayes | Wide receiver | Wisconsin | |
| 5 | 136 | Jerry Jensen | Linebacker | Washington | |
| 6 | 165 | Damien Richardson | Defensive back | Arizona State | |
| 7 | 196 | Vili Maumau | Defensive tackle | Colorado | |
| 7 | 228 | Jim Turner | Wide receiver | Syracuse | |
| Made roster | |||||
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Dameyune Craig | Quarterback | Auburn |
| Paul Janus | Tackle | Northwestern |
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
| ||||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | Atlanta Falcons | L 14–19 | 0–1 | Ericsson Stadium | 65,129 |
| 2 | September 13 | atNew Orleans Saints | L 14–19 | 0–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 51,915 |
| 3 | Bye | |||||
| 4 | September 27 | Green Bay Packers | L 30–37 | 0–3 | Ericsson Stadium | 69,723 |
| 5 | October 4 | atAtlanta Falcons | L 23–51 | 0–4 | Georgia Dome | 50,724 |
| 6 | October 11 | atDallas Cowboys | L 20–27 | 0–5 | Texas Stadium | 64,181 |
| 7 | October 18 | atTampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–16 | 0–6 | Raymond James Stadium | 63,600 |
| 8 | October 25 | Buffalo Bills | L 14–30 | 0–7 | Ericsson Stadium | 64,050 |
| 9 | November 1 | New Orleans Saints | W 31–17 | 1–7 | Ericsson Stadium | 62,514 |
| 10 | November 8 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 23–25 | 1–8 | 3Com Park | 68,572 |
| 11 | November 15 | Miami Dolphins | L 9–13 | 1–9 | Ericsson Stadium | 67,887 |
| 12 | November 22 | atSt. Louis Rams | W 24–20 | 2–9 | Trans World Dome | 50,716 |
| 13 | November 29 | atNew York Jets | L 21–48 | 2–10 | Giants Stadium | 71,501 |
| 14 | December 6 | San Francisco 49ers | L 28–31 (OT) | 2–11 | Ericsson Stadium | 63,332 |
| 15 | December 13 | Washington Redskins | L 25–28 | 2–12 | Ericsson Stadium | 46,940 |
| 16 | December 20 | St. Louis Rams | W 20–13 | 3–12 | Ericsson Stadium | 50,047 |
| 17 | December 27 | atIndianapolis Colts | W 27–19 | 4–12 | RCA Dome | 58,182 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||
| NFC West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| (2) Atlanta Falcons | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 442 | 289 | W9 |
| (4) San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 479 | 328 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 305 | 359 | L3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 336 | 413 | W2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 285 | 378 | L2 |
