Starting Panthers RT Taylor Moton sidelined with blood clot, potentially clearing path for 1st-round rookie in critical season for Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers announced Tuesday that starting right tackle Taylor Moton has a blood clot in one of his lungs and is expected to miss time in the regular season.
Moton was diagnosed with the condition in June. Per the team, he’s been on blood thinners since and has responded well to treatment. For now, the Panthers have placed Moton on the reserve/non-football injury list.
It’s not clear how long the condition will sideline Moton, but the Panthers are expected to start the season without a stalwart of their offensive line. A second-round draft pick by the Panthers in 2017, Moton has started all but four games for Carolina in the last eight seasons.
The state of Carolina’s offensive line looms large in 2026 as they continue to evaluate the play of quarterback Bryce Young.
Will first-round OT Freeling start in Week 1?
Moton’s condition likely clears the path for first-round rookie Monroe Freeling to start from Day 1. A 6-7, athletic tackle, Freeling joined the Panthers as the No. 19 pick in April’s NFL Draft out of Georgia and projects as an anchor of Carolina’s offensive line for years to come.
With four-year Panthers starter Ikem Ekwonu recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon sustained in the playoffs in January, Freeling was expected to compete for the starting left tackle position with free-agent signing Rasheed Walker, a former starter for the Packers.
With Moton and Ekwonu both expected to miss the start of the season, the path is clear for Freeling to earn a Week 1 starting job. Freeling played left tackle at Georgia, but is expected to be able to play on either side in the NFL.
OL play key to Bryce Young’s development
The Panthers face a pivotal season coming off a division title while facing a long-term decision on Young. The Panthers won the NFC South despite an 8-9 record last season and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
Young will enter his fourth NFL season without an extension to his rookie contract. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, Young has responded will since being benched in his second season, but hasn’t played well enough to compel the Panthers to commit to a long-term extension.
Offensive line play will be key as the Panthers continue to evaluate Young’s viability as their long-term answer at quarterback.
