Blood Clot Sidelines Panthers Right Tackle Moton Before 2026 Season
Carolina Panthers starting right tackle Taylor Moton has been placed on the non-football injury list after doctors discovered a blood clot in his left lung in late June, the club confirmed Tuesday. The 31-year-old, who has started every regular season of his nine-year NFL career in Carolina, is expected to miss the start of the 2026 regular season. According to the club, Moton was placed on blood thinners following the diagnosis and has responded well to treatment, with the team's medical staff monitoring him on a day-to-day basis.
The setback compounds an already fragile situation along Carolina's offensive front. Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu remains sidelined after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon during the Panthers' NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams on January 10, 2026, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carolina also placed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on the non-football injury list this week after he cut his foot while running, according to the club. Moton was selected by Carolina in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan and has spent his entire professional career with the organization. iran superleague basketball
The Panthers had already taken steps to shore up the offensive line ahead of Moton's diagnosis. In March, the club signed veteran tackle Rasheed Walker as insurance cover for Ekwonu on the left side. Carolina then used the 18th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft on offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, and Moton's absence could accelerate Freeling's path to an early starting role on the right side.
Carolina enters the 2026 season having claimed the NFC South title for the first time in a decade, riding the development of quarterback Bryce Young - whose fifth-year option the club has already picked up. The Panthers' playoff run ended in that January wild-card loss to Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Keeping Young upright behind a depleted offensive line represents the most pressing challenge facing the organization as the regular season approaches in September.
