The Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers are set to wrap up Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season on Monday Night Football. And on paper, the scales tilt toward San Francisco. They’re sitting at 7-4, they’ve got the home crowd behind them, and they’ve looked a touch more consistent than Carolina, who come in at 6-5.

But before anyone crowns a favorite, the matchup already sparked a debate on FOX NFL Sunday, where Terry Bradshaw and Rob Gronkowski went back and forth about what this game really means for both teams. Gronk is not a believer in the Panthers, while Terry…well, he certainly is.

“Not a believer,” Gronk said when he was asked whether he’s a believer in the Panthers or not. “They’re so inconsistent.”

Right after his words came out of his mouth, Terry clapped back at him, stating, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. That’s just not right. What’s wrong with you? There was a time your team wasn’t that good, and you got it on a run and you’re on television.”

Well, that was the moment everything flipped. It’s still a bit unclear which team Terry was pointing at when he threw that line toward the former tight end, but it didn’t land smoothly. Gronk has stacked 11-plus wins in every one of his 12 seasons with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so you can imagine why that comment didn’t sit right with him.

“What team was that?” Gronk didn’t hesitate while asking Terry about that. “I mean, it sounded like you had a losing record. You’re six and eight at one time.”

The exchange underscored how divided even seasoned analysts are on the Panthers this season, which adds another layer to an already high-stakes matchup. After all, the way things have turned out this season, the Panthers have indeed looked inconsistent through 11 weeks.

How right Rob Gronkowski is about the Panthers?

While the Panthers have clearly split the room between Terry Bradshaw, who missed Week 11 as a FOX analyst, and Rob Gronkowski heading into Week 12, it still leaves one real question on the table: How good is this Carolina team right now? Heading into Week 12 against the 49ers, it’s safe to say that this Panthers’ squad is indeed inconsistent.

For starters, the Panthers are 6–5, which puts them in a gray zone, neither out of the mix nor operating like a real playoff threat. And the numbers back that up. They’ve put up just 207 points so far (18.8 per game, 28th per PFR), which tells you the offense hasn’t been carrying much weight.

Add in a –4 turnover differential, and you’re looking at a team that’s not only struggling to score but also giving opponents extra possessions. That combination usually shows up in exactly the kind of inconsistency we’ve seen from Carolina all year.

This is exactly why the NFL insider Eric Edholm criticized the team, writing, “If anyone has a good read on exactly what kind of a team Carolina is, please drop me a line. I’d love to know. Because it has become obvious that these Panthers require a broader scope than drilling down on what happens to them each week.”

Now the Panthers turn their attention to the 49ers on Monday. And to be fair, this Carolina team isn’t a collapse by any stretch. But they’re still carrying the inconsistency tag that Rob Gronkowski pointed out.