The clock ticks down to 22 days before the season opener, and the entire focus lands on one man. Taylor Moton is the anchor the Carolina Panthers desperately need back. According to Cat Scratch Reader, the team looks set to start the year without him, a rare and scary spot for a franchise that relies on stability. The Panthers drafted him in 2017, and he has been the most reliable right tackle in the league since. His absence leaves a massive hole that no one else can fill right now.
A Long Road Back From The Clot
Things have been quiet on the injury front, but the diagnosis was serious. Moton is currently on the non-football injury list because of a blood clot in his lungs. That is a terrifying condition for any athlete, yet reports from Cat Scratch Reader say he seems to be doing well. After logging every snap for six consecutive seasons, he sat out three contests in 2024 plus one in 2025. That streak of 6,787 consecutive snaps at right tackle proves he is built for this grind. The hope is that he returns during the season, but the start looks shaky.
Can a player with that much grit overcome a pulmonary clot in time?
The Ghost Of Travelle Wharton
The countdown also shines a light on Travelle Wharton, a man who lived and breathed Carolina football. He played 115 games for the Panthers, a number that ranks fourth all-time among offensive linemen for the team. According to Cat Scratch Reader, he was flagged for only 23 penalties in those games, a stat that shows his discipline. He started at left guard and even played tackle when needed, but his loyalty to the team never wavered. He stayed in the state after retirement, working as a coach and doing media with former teammate Jordan Gross. His career ended with a knee injury while trying to join the Bengals in 2012, but he always found his way back home.
The Countdown Changes Everything
This year, the countdown list is different because it ignores jersey numbers entirely. Cat Scratch Reader decided to rank the Top 100 Panthers of all time, a list that will not be controversial. Moton sits at number 22 on this list, right where the countdown begins for the opener. Wharton holds the number 23 spot, just one day before Moton in the timeline. The team needs that kind of reliability more than ever before. With the season starting in less than three weeks, the hope is that Moton heals fast.
