Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton fractured his fibula in Sunday’s 43-13 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he’s now sidelined indefinitely. This is a brutal blow, especially since it was only his second game back after spending the offseason getting treatment for a blood clot.
Another Brutal Blow for the Offensive Line
Moton’s injury happened early in the second half. Tampa Bay linebacker Yaya Diaby sacked Bryce Young, and Moton got rolled up on. You could see he was in serious pain, holding his left leg on the ground. He had to be carted off and never came back to the game. Head coach Dave Canales didn’t mince words after the game, confirming the worst. “TMo is gonna be out for a while,” Canales told the Charlotte Observer’s Alex Zietlow. “He got rolled up on pretty good… Just sick for TMo.” Yeah, “sick for TMo” pretty much sums it up for everyone watching.
A Short-Lived Comeback
This is Moton’s tenth season in the league, all with the Panthers, after they drafted him in the second round back in 2017. He’s been a rock on that offensive line for a decade, but this season has been a nightmare. Remember, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in one of his lungs way back in June and has been undergoing treatment since. He only returned to the field last week for their 25-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, playing just seven quarters total before this latest setback. With Moton out, rookie Monroe Freeling is absolutely going to step back into the starting right tackle spot. Freeling, the No. 19 overall pick out of Georgia this year, actually started the season in that role when Moton was out recovering from the blood clot. Now he’s back in, under some tough circumstances.
Panthers Drop to .500 After Blowout
Sunday’s game itself was a total mess for the Panthers. That 43-13 score against the Buccaneers? Yikes. Bucky Irving torched them for a pair of touchdowns for the Bucs, and Carolina’s offense couldn’t get out of its own way, coughing up four turnovers. This lopsided loss drops the Panthers’ record to 3-3 on the season, right when they were trying to build some momentum.
They don’t have much time to lick their wounds, either. The Panthers are set to face the Green Bay Packers this coming Thursday night. Losing a veteran like Moton, especially after everything he’s been through this season, is a massive blow that they’ll have to figure out how to overcome on a short week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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