The Carolina Panthers placed two veteran starters on the reserve/non-football injury list and announced that right tackle Taylor Moton and cornerback Jaycee Horn will miss at least the start of training camp as a result. Horn suffered a cut on his foot and is expected to return early in camp, while Moton’s ailment is more serious. In late June, the 10-year veteran was diagnosed with a blood clot in one of his lungs.
Doctors immediately placed Moton on blood thinners. Daily assessments by the Panthers’ medical staff determined that Moton is responding well to the treatment, but he will not be ready to join the lineup in Week 1. He is expected to play at some point this season, though it is not yet clear how much of the campaign he will miss.
A blood clot in the lung is a serious medical emergency that can be life-threatening. With treatment, the majority of patients make a full recovery, though some show long-term symptoms.
Moton has spent his entire decade-long career with the Panthers after they selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played all 16 games as a rookie and has been an every-week starter at right tackle since the 2018 campaign.
The anticipated absence is a rare one for Moton, who played all of the Panthers’ offensive snaps from 2018-23. He did not miss a single game until his age-30 season, in which he sat out three games due to knee and elbow injuries. He also sat out one game last year.
Monroe Freeling could see an opportunity in Moton’s absence
Having banked on Moton to anchor the right side of the offensive line, the Panthers will be forced to elevate a less-experienced option into the starting lineup until he returns. First-round pick Monroe Freeling is a candidate to jump into action right out of the gate. While he was projected as a still-developing lineman in the draft and appeared as a depth option during his practice reps earlier in the offseason, the Panthers may have no choice but to put Freeling in the mix.
Not only is Moton on the shelf indefinitely, but the Panthers are also awaiting the return of starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who underwent surgery in January to repair a ruptured patellar tendon. Ekwonu is on the physically unable to perform list and looks like a candidate to miss extended time this season as he recovers from that serious knee injury.
If free agent addition Rasheed Walker fills one of the two vacant spots in the lineup — most likely at left tackle — then Freeling would become the next-obvious choice to step into the other role.
Freeling made just 17 career starts at Georgia and earned a second-team All-SEC selection during his third and final year of college football.
