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Taylor Moton has a blood clot in his lung. The Carolina Panthers’ starting right tackle will miss time once the regular season begins, the team confirmed Tuesday.
Doctors found the clot back in June. Since then, Moton’s been on blood thinners, and according to the team he’s responded well to treatment. Still, the Panthers have placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list for now, which tells you this isn’t something that clears up in a week or two.
Nobody’s saying exactly when Moton comes back.
What is clear: Carolina opens the season without one of the steadiest players on its offensive line. The Panthers took Moton in the second round back in 2017, and he’s started all but four games for the franchise over eight seasons since. That kind of durability doesn’t get replaced overnight.
Right tackle wasn’t the only concern, either. The offensive line as a whole becomes a storyline to watch in 2026, especially with Carolina still trying to figure out what it has in quarterback Bryce Young.
Does this open the door for rookie Monroe Freeling?
Moton’s absence probably clears a path for rookie Monroe Freeling to jump straight into the starting lineup. Carolina used its first-round pick (No. 19 overall) on the Georgia product back in April, and at 6-foot-7, with the kind of athleticism that made him worth that pick, he projects as a long-term piece up front for this offense.
Before Moton’s diagnosis, Freeling was already going to have to fight for a starting job. Four-year starter Ikem Ekwonu is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon he suffered during January’s playoff run, so left tackle was up for grabs too. Free-agent addition Rasheed Walker, who started games for the Packers, came in expecting to compete for that same spot.
Now, with both Moton and Ekwonu sidelined heading into the season, Freeling has a real shot at starting Week 1. He played left tackle in college, but teams that draft him believe he can hold up on either side of the line at the pro level.
Why the offensive line matters so much for Bryce Young
This season carries weight for Carolina beyond just wins and losses. The Panthers won the NFC South last year, even with an 8-9 record, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. That’s progress, sure, but it also raises the stakes for what comes next.
Young heads into Year 4 without a rookie-contract extension in hand. He was the No. 1 overall pick back in 2023, and while he’s played better since getting benched during his second season, he still hasn’t shown enough to convince the front office to commit long-term money to him.
That’s exactly why the line in front of him matters so much right now; every snap Young takes behind a patchwork offensive line will factor into how Carolina views his future – and whether an extension ever gets discussed at all.
