The Carolina Panthers just dropped a bomb, announcing Tuesday that starting right tackle Taylor Moton has a blood clot in one of his lungs and is expected to miss regular season time. Moton, who was diagnosed back in June, has been on blood thinners and responding well, but the team’s placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out, but starting the season without a cornerstone of their offensive line? That’s a brutal hit.
The O-Line Just Got a Massive Hole
Moton’s been a beast for the Panthers, a second-round pick from 2017 who’s started all but four games in the last eight seasons. The guy has anchored the right side of that line through all three of Bryce Young’s NFL seasons. You can’t overstate how big his presence is. This is a critical season for the Panthers as they keep evaluating Young’s play, and a stable offensive line is the absolute backbone of that evaluation. Now, with Moton sidelined, a huge question mark hangs over their protection.
Rookie Monroe Freeling Thrown Into the Fire
Moton’s condition rips open the path for first-round rookie Monroe Freeling to start from Day 1. Freeling, a 6-7, athletic tackle, came to Carolina as the No. 19 pick in April’s NFL Draft out of Georgia, and everyone’s expecting him to be an anchor for years. And get this: the Panthers are already without four-year starter Ikem Ekwonu, who’s recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon from the playoffs in January. Ekwonu was set to battle free-agent signing Rasheed Walker for the starting left tackle spot. With both Moton and Ekwonu out to start the season, Freeling, who played left tackle at Georgia but is expected to play either side, is basically guaranteed a Week 1 starting job. That’s a lot of pressure on a rookie, right?
The Panthers are coming off a season where they snagged a division title with an 8-9 record and hit the playoffs for the first time since 2017. But this is a pivotal season for Bryce Young. He’s heading into his fourth NFL season without an extension to his rookie deal. He was the No. 1 pick in 2023, he’s responded well since getting benched in his second season, but he hasn’t done enough to force the Panthers to commit long-term. Offensive line play isn’t just important, it’s *key* for the Panthers to figure out if Young is their guy for the long haul.
This is it, folks. A rookie, Monroe Freeling, is getting baptized by fire, and the entire evaluation of Bryce Young’s career might just hinge on how he handles it. Talk about high stakes for Week 1!
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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