After playing with the Raiders, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Jaguars early in his career, Steve Beuerlein joined Carolina as a free agent in 1996. He was initially brought in to add veteran depth, but he quickly made the most of his chances in Charlotte. Beuerlein eventually took over as the full-time starting quarterback and enjoyed the most successful period of his impressive 17-year NFL career.

Beuerlein used sharp field vision, exact touch on intermediate passes, and remained calm under pressure. Instead of scrambling, he held his ground against strong pass rushes, reliably throwing high-arcing passes to receivers like Muhsin Muhammad and Wesley Walls. His skill in reading defenses before the snap enabled him to analyze zone coverages and effectively counter blitz schemes with quick throws.

After backing up Kerry Collins for two seasons, Beuerlein assumed the full-time starting role in 1998 as Collins dealt with off-field issues. Beuerlein quickly made an impact by leading the NFL with a 63.0% completion rate.

That performance set the stage for his defining 1999 season. Beuerlein launched a powerful offensive run, leading the NFL in both completions (343) and passing yards (4,436), along with a career-best 36 touchdowns. This remarkable year earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2000, he maintained his high-volume passing, with 3,730 yards and 19 touchdowns.

In April 2001, following a 7–9 season in 2000, new head coach George Seifert chose to embrace a youth movement at the position, releasing the 36-year-old veteran quarterback. Beuerlein subsequently signed with the Denver Broncos, where he served as a backup for two seasons before retiring in 2004. Upon announcing his retirement, he signed a symbolic one-day ceremonial contract with Carolina to officially retire as a Panther.

Beuerlein played 59 games (51 starts) with the Panthers (1996–2000), throwing for 12,690 yards and 86 touchdowns.