Signed midway through the 2012 season after being released by Washington in favor of Billy Cundiff, Graham Gano quickly turned a midseason tryout into an eight-year run as one of the most reliable and powerful placekickers in Carolina Panthers history.

Gano took over the kicking duties in Charlotte in Week 10 of 2012 and immediately gave the Panthers a weapon with elite leg strength. Beyond his high touchback percentage on kickoffs, he routinely delivered in high-pressure situations. In 2015, Gano set a Panthers single-season franchise record with 146 total points scored, helping power Carolina to a 15–1 record and an NFC Championship.

His best year came in 2017, when he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after connecting on 29 of 30 field goals. His 96.7% field goal percentage led the entire NFL, setting a single-season franchise record for accuracy. The following year in 2018, Gano etched his name into team lore by drilling a game-winning 63-yard field goal as time expired against the New York Giants, tying the second-longest field goal in NFL history at the time.

A fractured leg ended his 2018 campaign early, and after spending the entire 2019 season on injured reserve, Gano was released in March 2020 before signing with the Giants.

With the Panthers, Gano converted 165 field goals and 247 extra points. He remains second all-time in Panthers franchise history in points scored with 742, trailing only John Kasay.