The Panthers will open the season without one of their steadiest linemen. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that starting right tackle Taylor Moton has blood clots in his lungs and has begun treatment, landing on the non-football injury list a day before Carolina’s veterans report for training camp. Moton is expected to miss Week 1.
It’s a tough turn for a team coming off real progress. Under second-year coach Dave Canales, the Panthers jumped from five wins in 2024 to eight and a division title last season, and they came within four points of upsetting the Rams in the playoffs.
How long Moton stays out isn’t clear and will hinge on how he responds to treatment. Per Wolfe’s report, the expectation is that he’ll be able to return at some point in 2026. Moton started 15 of his 16 games last season and signed a two-year, $44 million extension last August that begins this year, leaving one season left on the deal and a $21.1 million cap hit for 2026.
Losing him stings for an offense that can use every bit of help, but Carolina has poured resources into the offensive line. The team added tackle Rasheed Walker on a cheap $4 million deal for the season and spent the 19th overall pick on Monroe Freeling in the 2026 draft. With Moton sidelined, both Walker and Freeling are now in line to start at tackle, in part because Ikem Ekwonu is also expected to miss the beginning of the season, and possibly longer, as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles suffered in January’s playoff loss.
